Prince George’s County Police will enforce a curfew on residents under 17 years old beginning Friday, Sept. 9. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks made the announcement at a press conference Monday, after a particularly violent weekend in the county.

Unless accompanied by an adult or unless there are other exceptions, Alsobrooks said minors have to be at home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sundays-Thursdays, and between midnight and 5 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The curfew will last at least 30 days, which she called “a cooling-off period.”

The county has not imposed a curfew in nearly three decades. Alsobrooks said she decided to impose a curfew in response to recent crime, claiming August was the single deadliest month in Prince George’s County history. Police Chief Malik Aziz said at the press conference that his department investigated 24 murders –- the highest number in one month over three decades –- and has solved 13 so far. Malik also said non-fatal shootings, illegal gun possessions, and carjackings are up this year.

“I’m just going to put it very bluntly: Somebody has got to take responsibility for these armed and dangerous children. And it’s not just the police and not just the government,” said Alsobrooks. “We have children who are out in our communities at 3 and 4 o’clock a.m. committing these crimes. No summer job or government program is going to help that.”

Alsobrooks is leaning on a local ordinance passed in November 1995 to enforce the curfew. According to the law, a police officer will issue a minor who violates the curfew for the first time a written warning, as well as request information as to contact their parent or guardian. If the minor has received a previous written warning or is alleged to have engaged in “delinquent conduct,” per the law, the minor is taken into police custody. The minor will only be released to the custody of a parent or guardian, and if an individual cannot be reached, then the minor will be released to social services.

The parent or guardian of a minor who is alleged to have violated the curfew can be fined anywhere between $50 to $250. The parent or guardian is also liable for costs associated with detaining the minor during curfew, also known as a “babysitting fee.”

“The amount to be paid by the parent shall be based on the hourly wage of the County employee who is assigned to remain with the juvenile plus the cost of benefits for that employee,” per the law. Establishments that violate the curfew are also subject to fines.

The announcement comes during a Labor Day weekend beset by gun violence in the county. Two people were fatally shot over the weekend in separate incidents, according to Prince George’s County Police, including a 15-year-old D.C. resident.

Alsobrooks said the number of juvenile arrests this year — currently at 430 — have doubled compared to this time last year, and many of those arrests are related to carjacking. So far in 2022, she said the police have arrested 84 juveniles for carjacking, and 55 of those individuals have prior offenses, 34 of which are violent crimes. Half of the juveniles arrested for carjacking have been under the age of 15, she added.

“I know this isn’t the popular thing to say but the truth of the matter is it’s a fair question: Where are their parents? Where are the aunties? Where are the uncles or other family members who are responsible for them?” Alsobrooks said.

Alsobrooks was joined by City Council Chair Calvin S. Hawkins II, who supported the decision to impose a curfew. She characterized the curfew as one tool in the toolbox, adding that the county just opened a new mental health facility. She said students are also offered mental health services in school and job opportunities in a summer program.

It’s unclear how effective the curfew will be in reducing crime or youth victimization. An evaluation completed by the Urban Institute and sponsored by National Institute of Justice determined that the impact of curfew between January 1992 and March 1999 was “small, and not statistically significant.” Ultimately, researchers concluded that their findings did not provide evidence for supporting or opposing Prince George’s curfew.

The District implemented its own juvenile curfew in 1995. An analysis of that law curfew conducted in 2003 and published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice found that the city’s measure did not reduce juvenile arrests.

This post has been updated with additional information about Prince George’s County’s curfew. This post was also updated to correct the police chief’s name.