Washington D.C. police to start enforcing youth curfews during the summer as a way to reduce crime

SEATTLE - The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C. will begin enforcing youth curfew hours throughout the summer in an attempt to reduce juvenile crime around the area. The curfew, which will start on Monday, July 8 and will be in effect until at least August, mandates that individuals under the age of 17 must remain indoors from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m., seven days a week.

Between 2016 and 2022, MPD officers arrested on average 2,235 juveniles in a given year involving youth under the age of 18. This is an average of 52 arrests per 1,000 children and youth between the ages of 10 and 17.

A minor who violates curfew may be ordered to perform up to 25 hours of community service while a parent or legal guardian of a juvenile under the age of 17 that allows the minor to violate the curfew law is subject to a fine of up to $500 or community service.

How does the Washington DC curfew works

Even if you are not a resident of Washington DC, the curfew applies to all minors in the District, even those who reside outside the city. There are of course exceptions for this curfew, and those include:

• Being accompanied by parent or guardian
• Complete an errand at the direction of a parent or guardian, without detour or stop
• Ride in a motor vehicle involved in interstate travel
• Work or return home from a job, without detour or stop
• Become involved in an emergency
• Stand on a sidewalk that joins their residence or the residence of a next-door neighbor, if the neighbor did not complain to police
• Attend an official school, religious, or other recreational activity sponsored by the District of Columbia, a civic organization, or other similar group that takes responsibility for the juvenile (this includes traveling to and from the activity)
• Exercise their First Amendment rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, including the free exercise of speech, religion, and right of assembly

Juvenile crimes in the capital

The DC metro area started implementing curfew laws as a way to reduce juvenile crimes. Data shows that people under the age of 17 make up for the majority of arrests in DC for crimes like robbery and carjacking. The average age of those arrested in carjackings in 2023 was 15 years old, with guns being used in half of the cases, according to police data.

The MPD produces reports about juvenile crime twice a year and, according to the last two years of data, there has been a sharp increase in violent crime arrests among juveniles. MPD reported 326 juveniles arrested for violent crimes in 2022 and in 2023 MPD made more than 2,200 arrests of individuals aged 17 or younger.

But despite all the efforts to contain juvenile crime, studies have shown that having a curfew does not necessarily help combat crime. In the United States, there are about 400 towns, cities, counties, and states where it is illegal for young people to be outside of their homes at certain times of the day. But according toa meta-analysis by the Campbell Collaboration research network in 2016 found that curfews do not reduce crime or juvenile victimization.