Baltimore mayor says citywide curfew for minors to start Memorial Day weekend
BALTIMORE - Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said a citywide curfew for minors will be enforced starting Memorial Day weekend.
This comes after a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old were injured after a large fight among minors broke out Sunday night near the Inner Harbor.
Police said, at one point, there were more than 200 teenagers along E. Pratt Street around 9 p.m. Two were arrested after fleeing the scene, including one who was found with a loaded gun in the parking garage of police headquarters.
Mayor Scott said a curfew for anyone 14 years old and younger will be 9 p.m., and a curfew for anyone younger than 17 will be 10 p.m.
"I want everyone to hear me, and hear me clearly," Mayor Scott said. "We are going back to the old days. We will be enforcing a youth curfew as we move into the latter spring and summer months."
Mayor Scott said there will be summer camps and programs for children this summer, but those programs have not been announced.
"We are going to have summer camp," Mayor Scott said. "We are going to do the great things we do in recreation and parks but we are also going to put a sense of accountability on families. We want our young kids to come out to the Inner Harbor and enjoy it in a safe way."
Mayor Scott said he has seen far too many times young children far away from their homes at night.
"It's not just about making sure we are getting them off the street, but making sure that we are supporting them and figuring out what's going on with them and their families," Mayor Scott said. "It is not normal for person to be that far away from their home and no one knows where they are or cares for them."
We have reported on the continued rise in violence involving teens.
Last week, police found a large gathering of teenagers at the Inner Harbor at nighttime. No one was arrested and there were no injuries, according to police.
Since the start of 2023, five children under 18 have been fatally shot and another 23 have been injured by gunfire, according to Baltimore police.
On Memorial Day, last year, 17-year-old Neal Mack was killed, and two others were injured, in a shooting at the Inner Harbor. Police charged a 15-year-old with murder.