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Community members packed a room to gather information about the new law that goes into effect Aug. 8.
The new law means that children under 14 have to be inside by 9 p.m., and 14- to 16-year-olds have to be inside by 10 p.m. on school nights and by 11 p.m. on weekends and during summer break.
One constant point that city leaders and the police commissioner tried to stress at the meeting is that they're trying to help young people, not criminalize them.
Many of the questions from community members were about how the law would be enforced.
"What is the oversight procedure that will be in place to make sure that this program is operating properly?" one resident asked city leaders.
"Is it just Fells Point? Or is it east Baltimore?" questioned another resident.
"My concern is if our Police Department is going to get additional training for healthy interaction with our young people?" asked parent Melissa Bagley, who told 11 News she has a few sons.
Police Commissioner Anthony Batts stressed to her that officers are consistently going through training to accomplish that.
Some opponents of the new law believe it makes children feel like criminals, while supporters said it's about protecting kids and connecting them with resources.
"If a child is in distress, and they leave the home or place they live -- wherever it may be -- and they have nowhere to go, isn't it a compassionate and good thing that those centers exist to care for the needs of the child that's in distress?" said supporter Sonja Merchant-Jones.
"I think a lot of young kids in the city are going to suffer from it," opponent Gary Phillips said. "The city couldn't come up with the money to keep these recreation centers open, but yet we can come up with the money to keep these rec centers open to house these kids when you take them off the street. So, I don't understand that."
There has been a curfew law in Baltimore for decades. Before the new changes, curfews for children under 17 were set for 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends.
New curfew violators will have to go to a youth connection center that's a place for kids to be connected with social service representatives, if necessary. Parents of violators could face fines of up to $500.
Too bad parents can't police their own children. They have to be told that having their school aged kids running around after 9or 10pm on a school night is not good. Then people wonder why they end up on the tax payer dole....because you don't instill the value of education, respect for authority, and respect for other people in your kids. That's why.
Studies consistently show that youth curfew laws have no effect on crime. It is something that is better left to parents to decide how late their children should be allowed to stay out. Parents, good ones at least, do not need the government saying where their kids can be at night.
It's also a ridiculous waste of police resources that could be put to much better use.
All in all, it's an easy out for politicians to say that they are doing something about the high crime rates that Baltimore is experiencing while criminalizing youths.
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