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Council hears mixed evidence on juvenile curfew and calls to fund youth services
Summary
Committee heard testimony from youth organizers, DC Safe and juvenile advocates urging investment in youth services, mentoring, recreation and workforce programs; MPD said juvenile curfew zones were a limited tool and JIRU and prevention work aim to identify high‑risk youth and offer alternatives.
Public witnesses including youth organizers from the Trigger Project and youth service providers told the committee that prevention, paid employment, recreation and community‑based crisis response are priorities to reduce youth involvement in violence. Several witnesses warned that expanded juvenile curfew enforcement risks deepening school‑to‑prison pathways and urged more investment in out‑of‑school programs and neighborhood safe spaces.
Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll described juvenile curfew zones as a narrowly tailored, time‑limited tool. He said most youth encountered in zones were returned home or transported to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services for services, not arrested; MPD's Juvenile Investigative Response Unit (JIRU) uses pattern‑based investigations and outreach to identify and interrupt high‑risk youth pathways and to coordinate with youth‑serving organizations.
Council members pressed for more funding of youth recreation, expansion of diversion and mentoring programs, and data that shows the curfew's impacts on arrests and youth outcomes. Several witnesses asked the committee to prioritize budget funding for youth centers and year‑round programming.
