Baltimore’s youth curfew makes mockery of police | READER COMMENTARY

Let me get this straight: Shantay Jackson, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, stated “that although past curfew attempts have overemphasized the role of law enforcement, alienating young people, this summer’s attempt would emphasize support, safety and engagement” (”Baltimore readies plan to enforce youth curfew using social workers over police in ‘communal parenting’ strategy,” May 24). This basically means catering to the offending youths. What are we teaching them?

According to The Sun, “Police officers who encounter a crowd of 10 or more school-aged residents in violation of the curfew are directed to tell the group to disperse in three successive announcements, before the individuals could be relocated by a Youth Connection Center employee. The young people then could be picked up by a parent or guardian from the center, the police document said.” Furthermore, “young people won’t be detained or forced to go to the centers [and] social workers and youth peers would ‘strongly encourage’ them to go home.” This makes a mockery of the police department and its responsibilities.

The whole plan shows the weakness of Mayor Brandon Scott and his staff to handle problems in this city. But as with most of the mayor’s programs dealing with crime and other problems, Scott is good at explaining his failures and making them sound as successes.

— Stas Chrzanowski, Baltimore

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