Montgomery parents called County Executive Ike Leggett’s controversial youth curfew proposal “unjustifiable,” passing a resolution against the legislation.
The Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations said that the 50 percent decline in gang-related crime since 2008 showed existing strategies were already effective, and pointed to laws already on the books to check suspicious behavior.
“Imposing a law on the entire population of Montgomery County youth when the culprit exists in a small segment of the county is unjustifiable,” the resolution reads.
The bill would be the first curfew imposed in the county and would prohibit youths from being in any public place from midnight to 5 a.m. on weekend nights and from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights.
Crime was down 7.5 percent in 2010 in Montgomery County, but Leggett said police were arresting more juveniles.
MCCPTA’s resolution notes that Leggett’s “exceptions” to the curfew— such as when a teen is running an errand for his or her parent — could lead to inconsistent reinforcement.
The MCCPTA adopted four other resolutions this week, from supporting school funding to raising concerns about how the school system chooses sites to build new campuses.
“As an organization representative of 50,000, these positions are a clear sign that our community is very much engaged in critical school and youth-related issues,” President Kristin Trible said.
