BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Police Department distributed an internal memorandum in preparation for Mayor Brandon Scott's re-implementation of a night time youth curfew.
Scott vowed to reimpose the curfew following an April brawl that led to a shooting at the Inner Harbor.
According to the new memorandum, which goes in effect at 11pm on May 26, officers will target youth crowds of 10 or more who are under 17-year-old.
Police will enforce the curfew in public places and establishments beginning as early as 9pm throughout the week.
Curfew for those under age 14 will be from 9pm to 6am seven days a week.
Between Memorial Day and the last weekend in August, anyone ages 14 to 16 will have a nightly curfew from 11pm to 6am.
Those same hours carryover during weekends for the rest of the year, except for weekdays at which point curfew begins an hour earlier at 10pm.
The new memorandum temporarily supersedes existing BPD policy 1205, which entails the same hours for the same age groups but also discusses daytime school curfews.
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Under policy 1205 officers were permitted to take custody of a juvenile for violating curfew and transport them either home, to the Youth Connection Center, or Department of Social Services.
The policy also allowed parents of those juveniles to be fined.
This new memorandum makes no mention of civil penalties for parents, and it explicitly states only Youth Connection Center employees can transport minors, and only if they consent. Under the new guidance officers appear to have no authority to take custody of a juvenile for merely a curfew violation, unless they've committed a criminal act.
"Kicking off this Memorial Day Weekend, our Youth Engagement Plan will ensure that our young people are safe and engaged this summer and that they are provided opportunities to enjoy their time off from school by participating in activities that we know they want to do," said Scott. "I want to be clear, we will be engaging young people around the curfew and we will be holding those who choose to participate in unacceptable activities accountable."
So far this year 43 young people ages 17 and under have been shot in Baltimore City, resulting in nine deaths.
While announcing the curfew Wednesday afternoon, Scott officially kicked off his "Bmore Summer Youth Engagement Strategy."
The initiative includes new summer youth programming, playground upgrades and renovations to Chick Webb, Ambrose Kennedy, and Parkview Recreation Centers.
