DC mayor faces opposition to expanding curfews after recent incidents of youth violence

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is proposing new legislation that would extend youth curfews this summer, amid opposition about the tighter restrictions being counterproductive. 

The emergency legislation will need nine City Council votes to pass, and it is set for a vote Tuesday. 

As of now, the District of Columbia's youth curfew begins at midnight on weeknights in the summer for children ages 16 and under. Bowser is looking to extend this curfew to 11 p.m. and include 17-year-olds.

Bowser’s new proposal would also allow the city's police chief to create designated “extended juvenile curfew zones," where the curfew could start at 7 p.m. for up to a month. 

“Most of our young people are doing the right thing, but unfortunately, we continue to see troubling trends in how groups of young people are gathering in the community – in ways that too often lead to violence and other unlawful behaviors,” said Bowser, a Democrat. 

The new proposal came after several recent instances of youth violence in the city. Reportedly, there were a series of teenage brawls near The Wharf and several fights earlier this month on part of the city's U Street Corridor – two popular tourist and shopping-restaurant-nightlife areas. 

While some encourage these tighter restrictions, some oppositions has been noted. Opponents argue youth curfew enforcement will lead to a poorer relationship between police and children, and that it may disproportionately affect children of color. Another concern is that it may distracting police from more important tasks.