Youth curfew: Great in concept, not in practice

In response to an uptick in gun violence, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks last week announced a month-long enforcement of a longstanding curfew for children age 16 and younger. Early returns — one weekend’s worth anyway — appeared favorable as the D.C. suburban county reported just two shootings, neither fatal on Saturday and Sunday. As it happens, the move has proven trendy. The District of Columbia had already quietly resumed enforcing that city’s youth curfew as well with at least 16 young people picked up by police for violations since Aug. 1, according to The Washington Post. District officials aren’t claiming they’ve made inroads but recognized that with violent crime and youth arrests up this year, something needed to be done.