Teens in Baltimore, Maryland are getting put on a new curfew and it is not by their parents.
The Baltimore city council recently passed a new curfew for kids under the age of 17. In some cases, kids may have to be off the street as early as 9 p.m.
The current curfew requirement for kids is 11 p.m. during the week and midnight on the weekend, but the new law pushes for those times to be earlier in some cases. Children under the age of 14 have to be inside by 9 p.m., while those that are between 14-16 have to be indoors by 10 p.m. on school nights and 11 p.m. on weekends.
While the new law has many people behind it, there are critics as well. Some believe that the new law will not help kids, but criminalize them.
“There’s already a huge amount of police brutality, with adults being targeted, but now police are going to have the green light to do the exact same thing to young people,” said opponent Colleen Davidson, a youth organizer of a group called Fist.
Many supporters, including the mayor feel that the new law is a fresh start and will help protect kids and get them to reconnect with their families.
“This is about taking them out of harm’s way before a situation materializes where their being on the street becomes a law enforcement concern,” Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said.
Anyone that violates the new law can be picked up by police and and then taken to a youth connection center. Parent can also be fined anywhere from $30 to a maximum of $500. They can avoid having to pay a penalty by going through counseling and doing community service.
All in all, the city would like to have nine curfew centers, which means one at each police district.
This new Baltimore law is thought to be one of the most strict curfews in the country.
What are your thoughts? Do kids need a law enforced curfew? Would you like to see a curfew passed in your city?
Photo: Huffington Post
