MoCo Curfew Law FACT SHEET The Proposed Law and the Facts that Bring It Down

WHAT THE BILL SAYS Expedited Bill 25-11, text here: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/ pdf/bill/2011/Packets/20110712_7-1.pdf would: Violate kids’ rights: Restricting them at night on penalty of arrest and fines ―A minor must not remain in any public place or establishment in the county during curfew hours‖ – lines 75-76 ―Curfew hours means from 11 p.m. on any Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday until 5 a.m. the following day and from 12:01 a.m. until 5am on any Saturday or Sunday‖ – lines 32-34 Penalize parents for their choices Hurt local business with lost revenues ―The Court may also require one or more ―The owner or operator or an establishment must parent of a minor… to attend parenting classes‖ not knowingly allow a minor to remain at an – lines 162-164 establishment during curfew hours.‖ – lines 87-89

THE BILL’S PREMISE ―There has been an increase in juvenile ―A curfew for minors is in the interest of the violence, gang activity, and crime by minors in public health, safety, and general welfare‖ – the county‖ – lines 4-5 lines 17-18 ―This requirement is intended to hold a neglectful or careless parent to a reasonable community standard of parental responsibility through an objective test.‖ – lines 82-85

WHAT THE FACTS SAY Curfews DON’T CURB CRIME – According to all relevant studies “ The most common rationales are: reducing juvenile crime rates; reducing the victimization of juveniles; and reinforcing parental authority. While curfew proponents tout all of these policy rationales, none of these rationales has been proven to result from the imposition of curfews.‖ – Deidre E. Norton, NYU “ Counties with strict youth curfews witnessed no decrease in youth crime relative to counties without strict curfews.‖ – Daniel Macallair, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice “ Concluding that the evidence does not support the argument that curfews prevent crime and victimization.‖ – Kenneth Adams, Indiana University “ Juvenile curfew laws are ineffective for reducing crime because they do not include many of the perpetrators of crime, namely older adolescents and young adults; they do not include the hours when juveniles are most likely to commit offenses; they are based on the incorrect assumption that police crackdowns reduce crime; and they do not fully utilize the theories and research concerning juvenile delinquency.‖ – University of New Orleans and University of Central Florida researchers Gang Violence has DECREASED “Parental responsibility” is not govt.’s area “ Neither Leggett‘s office nor the police “ We also conclude that the curfew imposes an department could provide statistics Tuesday on unconstitutional burden on a parent’s recent juvenile crime trends. From 2007 until substantive due process rights. The city asserts 2010, the most recent gang-data available, that the ordinance promotes ‗parental supervision' gang-related incidents and crimes of minors… But the curfew fails to offer parents decreased in the county each year — from enough flexibility or autonomy in supervising their 507 to 232.‖ – The Washington Post children.‖ – Rochester, NY court decision

TAKE ACTION NOW! 1. Attend the county council hearing: Tuesday July 26 at 1:30pm 100 Maryland Ave, Rockville 2. Sign the online petition against the bill: http://tinyurl.com/mococurfewpetition 3. Write to your council member: Find their email here: http://1.usa.gov/CouncilEmails 4. Spread the word: Invite all of your friends, post on blogs, and contact businesses [email protected] | https://sites.google.com/site/standuptothemococurfew/curfew-facts