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Council presses DMPSJ on juvenile curfew plans and new youth response team
Summary
Council members asked Deputy Mayor Appiah about data supporting a permanent juvenile curfew after emergency use and about a newly launched youth response team focused on proactive outreach; Appiah cited a rise in juvenile shootings even as overall crime declined and described an 8‑person response team doing intensive outreach and referrals.
Members of the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety pressed the deputy mayor on juvenile‑focused public safety interventions Feb. 11, including whether data support turning a temporary curfew into a permanent tool. Appiah said overall crime fell, but juvenile shootings and some youth‑involved violence increased, and that the city must deploy a mix of prevention, accountability and targeted interventions.
Appiah described a youth response team housed in DMPSJ and working with MPD, CFSA and community partners to provide "relentless engagement" for high‑risk youth. The team — eight staff plus a supervisor — takes referrals from MPD (chronic runaways), CFSA, DHS and proximity‑to‑crime lists, and works to develop individualized success plans and to connect youth to programs such as ones leadership academy and community services.
Committee members sought clarity on how the team handles youth who refuse services. Appiah said the team is designed to complement rather than replace court or probation supervision: it will try intensive voluntary engagement and coordinate with supervision or court social services when appropriate. Councilmembers emphasized the need for stronger post‑commitment supports and for better data sharing across court, corrections and community agencies to track outcomes and decrease recidivism.
