A Good Start

Setting A Curfew To Address The Spike In Violent Crime Is The Beginning Of The Journey

By Raoul Dennis

The decision to enforce a curfew for young people is a good one. The county was enjoying a fifty-year low in violence prior to the pandemic. For such a bold turnaround in public safety in such a short period of time, county leaders need to make a bold move. Some may even say that it could have come sooner.

Curfews are not singular solutions but they help to provide data by eliminating a factor in the equation. Law enforcement clearly sees a pattern in the age range of many of the perpetrators.  They and the County Executive’s office will undoubtedly watch the pace and pattern of violent crime over the next 30 days to determine if there is significant impact – and to begin getting a clearer picture of the status of family structure and challenges around the county.

Hopefully, they will use that information to make the case to take more strategic actions and to create the kinds of efforts that will address the issues that are causing too many young people to make bad decisions.