Letter to the editor: Curfew opposition

The Lower Shore Progressive Caucus is calling on the Cambridge City Commission to oppose draft Ordinance 1207 which would criminalize children in the City of Cambridge. Drafted Ordinance 1207 would establish a youth curfew without any studies or data to show that there is a need for a youth curfew. There is no evidence that implementing a curfew would achieve any desired goals in terms of keeping our youth safe and the City Commissioners advocating for the curfew are refusing to conduct a study to prove this policy is needed. 

We have seen from curfews implemented on the Western Shore and across the state that they are ineffective and would only cause the following negative effects on our community: 

• This ordinance would have the understaffed Cambridge police department divert resources from community policing efforts to enforce a curfew that will criminalize children rather than keep them safe or out of trouble.
• This ordinance will put the youth of Cambridge under virtually house arrest.
• This ordinance will increase negative interactions between Cambridge police and families including incidents where children are not in danger or doing anything wrong. 
• This ordinance is likely to be enforced disproportionately against children of color. 
• This ordinance is being considered without conducting necessary studies to see if a curfew would help with actually improving public safety and not violate civil rights.

We encourage the residents of Cambridge to join us in opposition to Ordinance 1207 by writing the Cambridge Commission and telling them to vote oppose here: actionnetwork.org/letters/oppose-proposed-curfew. 

LSPC

Lower Eastern Shore