Controversial Baltimore curfew begins

[Jazzy]

For twenty years, Baltimore's city-wide curfew has allowed kids under 17 to roam the streets up until midnight. Not anymore.

"They could be harmed. They could do harm to someone else," Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told CBS News. "And we're supposed to turn a blind eye to it? No."

Beginning Friday night, kids younger than 14 must be indoors by 9 p.m.; for kids 14-16 its 10 p.m. on school nights and 11 p.m. other nights. Police will bring violators to two connection centers until they can be picked up by their parents.

While parents will not face jail time, the new law fines parents up to $500.

"We're criminalizing the parents instead of helping out in a community sense providing another source for families," said Tiffany Sanford, a mother of three.

The city pushed the measure this spring after nine children were killed this year, more than double the number from the same time last year.

"I think it's a bad idea with good intentions," 16-year-old Michael Bonner told CBS News. Bonner participates in after-school activities that go well into the evening. He is worried that police will be more likely to confront kids like him.

"The police encounter itself is scary enough," Bonner said. "They're being treated like criminals almost, pulled over. They're not handcuffed, but they're stopped from what they're doing."

CBS News asked Mayor Rawlings-Blake if she was comfortable taking on the role of parent for the city.

Source

Questions:

Do you think this curfew is a good idea? Why / Why not?

Did you have a curfew when you were this age? If so, what time did you have to be home?

 

[DrLeftover]

I'm waiting to see them enforce it.

If and when they do, you will hear shrieks of "RACISM" from the 'parents' of those young innocent criminal gang members.

 

[Jazzy]

I'm waiting to see them enforce it.

If and when they do, you will hear shrieks of "RACISM" from the 'parents' of those young innocent criminal gang members.

Did you have a curfew when you were this age? If so, what time did you have to be home?

 

[DrLeftover]

In the late sixties and early seventies, my city did have a curfew for minors, but I don't remember what the ages or times were.

From what I do remember when I was younger, unless you were out causing trouble, it wasn't a big deal.


When I was a teenager and was working evenings, the bosses always said when we closed that if we were stopped, to show them our work IDs. But I was always so tired I just went straight home, and I don't remember ever being stopped.

 

[Fatal Dawn]

I live just outside Baltimore and I know that a curfew is something they have been talking about. I feel they needed to do something about the crime rates in the city. Baltimore has always struggled with inner city violence and vagrancy. Things just never seem to get significantly better. Having seen this I don't really object to a curfew, but there's just the issue of how it will be enforced. I expect there to be concerns about infringing on people's rights and, of course, racial profiling.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

We've had a curfew similar to that for as long as I can remember.