D.C.’s mayor and chief of police announced new initiatives to fight crime in the city, including enforcing a youth curfew in some areas.
With a shrinking police force, Chief Pamela Smith knows she needs to target resources and ramp up efforts to cut down on violent juvenile crime.
Kids 16 and under should be off D.C. streets from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. on weekends. The curfew has been on the books for decades.
Police will target seven areas in a pilot program beginning Sept. 1.
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“Parents, we want you to know where your kids are overnight,” Smith said.
Police will pick them up, but youth services will take them from there.
“One of the asks I’ve heard is members of the community want to see officers in their communities,” Smith said.
Smith and Mayor Muriel Bowser also announced 50 more CCTV camera installations around the city and more to come in the next two years.
They said there are signs the emergency crime bill signed this summer is having an effect as more juvenile suspects are now held in custody awaiting trial instead of being released back home.
“What I believe is that we are making progress,” Smith said.
She pointed to a 23% drop in robberies in the 30 days since she took over and a robbery suppression initiative began. But in the same time, homicide is up 19%. Compared to the same time period last year, homicides are up 77% this summer. Assault with a dangerous weapon is up 66%, and robbery is up 86%.
“What is most concerning to us is these random acts between either known individuals or these one-off situations where conflicts arise,” Executive Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict said.
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