CAMBRIDGE, MD - The juvenile curfew in Cambridge is once again a topic of discussion, with the police chief seeking to extend the ordinance. Since February 2023, children aged 15 and younger in Cambridge have been required to be home by 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and by 10 p.m. on all other nights.
CAMBRIDGE, MD - The juvenile curfew in Cambridge is once again a topic of discussion, with the police chief seeking to extend the ordinance. Since February 2023, children aged 15 and younger in Cambridge have been required to be home by 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and by 10 p.m. on all other nights. And in October 2023 the city passed a 12-month temporary curfew. Now, the Cambridge Police Department is pushing to extend the temporary ordinance or even make it permanent.
"One of the things that we've noticed with this curfew is the number of children that are being out past that hour are few and far between. And I think a lot of that is because people are obeying the rules," said Police Chief Justin Todd.
According to Todd, the department has issued 25 citations since February 2023, with five repeat offenders. While the curfew has not significantly decreased juvenile crime, it has resulted in a decline in car thefts. However, vandalism incidents have increased.
Before the restrictions took effect, recent Cambridge-South Dorchester High School graduate Kaleah Skinner described juvenile crime as out of control.
"I've noticed that I lost a lot of classmates due to gun violence and stuff like that, and I wished that stuff could change," Skinner said.
Since the curfew has been in place, Skinner noted a decrease in juvenile crime and believes that extending the curfew would be beneficial.
"I noticed that it creates structure for the youth," she added.
La-Shon Foster, a Cambridge resident, supports extending the ordinance but has not observed a noticeable difference in juvenile crime.
"It has to go beyond Cambridge. It has to go to the legislators, it has to go to the ones that are making the laws with the juveniles and what you can charge a juvenile with. That's where our issue lies. Juveniles have to be held accountable, and we have to have juveniles paying for their crimes. Right now, it's like a slap on the wrist," Foster said.
The discussion about extending the juvenile curfew continues, with opinions varying on its effectiveness and future implementation.