The Metropolitan Police Department has recently given an update regarding the operations of the first Juvenile Curfew Zone in Navy Yard which ended this past Sunday. As reported by the department's release, the curfew was effective on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 8:00 p.m. with the aim of engaging local youth in public areas to garner voluntary compliance.
During this period, the MPD's First District encountered no violations or arrests related to the Juvenile Curfew Zone, with no disturbances, or incidents being reported that involved juveniles within the designated area. However, it was not entirely uneventful in the city; one curfew violation was noted shortly after 11:00 p.m. on Friday in Navy Yard during citywide juvenile curfew hours, and another occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday in the 1200 block of U Street, Northwest.
In a statement published by the MPD, Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith expressed her views on the weekend's enforcement: "Our goal in establishing Juvenile Curfew Zones is never to make arrests or detain youth for curfew violations. Our members work to engage youth and gain compliance, which is exactly what we observed this weekend." She thanked the community for their cooperation and indicated plans to continue employing Juvenile Curfew Zones as needed throughout the summer.
The MPD also took this opportunity to remind the citizens that a citywide curfew is in effect through August 31, for all individuals under the age of 18. The curfew starts nightly at 11:00 p.m., and ends at 6:00 a.m. the following morning. The initiative aims, to ensure the safety of the community's youth and maintain public order during the late hours of the night.
