Today, April 30th, the Prince George’s County Council passed a resolution that authorizes the Police Chief to create and enforce curfew zones for juveniles under the age of 17 at the request of commercial property owners in the county. Under the resolution, business owners would need to meet certain criteria before applying for a curfew zone, including obtaining a letter of support from the County Council Member who represents the area. The proposed curfew time periods cannot begin before 5:00 P.M. or end later than 5:00 A.M., and the curfew would not apply to juveniles accompanied by an authorized adult. The measure takes effect immediately. Read the resolution HERE.
This resolution is similar but separate from the Council’s Juvenile Curfew Bill that continues through the legislative process. The Council’s curfew bill passed Committee of the Whole last Tuesday, it was introduced today, and now will be scheduled for a public hearing and final vote later in May. Because Council decided to remove the “emergency” designation from the bill, once passed, it would take effect in 45 days.
“The resolution we passed today will fill the gap as the Juvenile Curfew Bill becomes law,” said Council Chair Jolene Ivey. “Our County Executive put an executive order in place specific to National Harbor, but we want to allow other commercial property owners in the county to apply for a curfew zone if they feel it’s needed. Our biggest priority is making sure we’re in partnership with the business community, law enforcement, and the residents of our county who have all been strong supporters of these measures.”