Teen Curfews & FlashMobs

[Anonymous]

Given the FlashMob that occurred in Germantown this past week I was curious if anyone's stance on the Montgomery County's teen curfew has changed? http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/18/flashmobs.police/index.html I'm aware we do not know how many of the perpetrators were teenagers and this was one incident but given this type of crime is happening all over the country would a curfew help prevent them in our area?

[Anonymous]

there was another flash mob last night that hit a DC convenience store. I don't know if a curfew would help - the flash just may occur earlier in the day.

[Anonymous]

Well, since a) DC has a curfew and had a flashmob robbery and b) the teens were engaging in an illegal activity and could be picked up for that, the curfew seems pretty pointless to me.

[Anonymous]

I'm still for a curfew but regardless of the flashmobs. I don't think kids have any business being out roaming the streets at midnight on a school night unless they're leaving an athletic/school event or work (both of which are accounted for in the law).

It's just a matter of time before one of these store clerks takes matters into their own hand and someone ends up shot. This is a really sad occurrence for everyone.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if a curfew would help that much. I think setting a curfew is up to the parents.

I think the biggest issue is boredom. Two months off and if they aren't doing anything (work, camp, volunteering, etc) they get bored and start doing stupid stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if a curfew would help that much. I think setting a curfew is up to the parents.

I think the biggest issue is boredom. Two months off and if they aren't doing anything (work, camp, volunteering, etc) they get bored and start doing stupid stuff.

The issue is absent parents. The kids that really don't need the curfew aren't affected in the first place so the curfew shouldn't be so offense to their parents. Those kids aren't put getting into trouble, so why be so against the curfew if your children are at home doing what they are suppose to be doing? Why not allow law enforcement the ability to deal with the other children and fine the parents who refuse to parent their children. Look at this from another perspective, not YOUR perspective. This issue doesn't just touch the priviledged kids of Bethesda or Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if a curfew would help that much. I think setting a curfew is up to the parents.

I think the biggest issue is boredom. Two months off and if they aren't doing anything (work, camp, volunteering, etc) they get bored and start doing stupid stuff.

The issue is absent parents. The kids that really don't need the curfew aren't affected in the first place so the curfew shouldn't be so offense to their parents. Those kids aren't put getting into trouble, so why be so against the curfew if your children are at home doing what they are suppose to be doing? Why not allow law enforcement the ability to deal with the other children and fine the parents who refuse to parent their children. Look at this from another perspective, not YOUR perspective. This issue doesn't just touch the priviledged kids of Bethesda or Potomac.

The privileged kids in Bethesda and Potomac are just as susceptible to boredom and doing stupid things as any other teenager. They also are not more likely to not have a curfew or have parents enforcing rules at home. Remember those teenagers who murdered a man in Potomac last year?

My point is I'm not sure if having an enforced curfew will do a lot of good, especially if the police don't have the resources to enforce it. You can report teenagers who are breaking laws without a curfew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if a curfew would help that much. I think setting a curfew is up to the parents.

I think the biggest issue is boredom. Two months off and if they aren't doing anything (work, camp, volunteering, etc) they get bored and start doing stupid stuff.

The issue is absent parents. The kids that really don't need the curfew aren't affected in the first place so the curfew shouldn't be so offense to their parents. Those kids aren't put getting into trouble, so why be so against the curfew if your children are at home doing what they are suppose to be doing? Why not allow law enforcement the ability to deal with the other children and fine the parents who refuse to parent their children. Look at this from another perspective, not YOUR perspective. This issue doesn't just touch the priviledged kids of Bethesda or Potomac.

The privileged kids in Bethesda and Potomac are just as susceptible to boredom and doing stupid things as any other teenager. They also are not more likely to not have a curfew or have parents enforcing rules at home. Remember those teenagers who murdered a man in Potomac last year?

My point is I'm not sure if having an enforced curfew will do a lot of good, especially if the police don't have the resources to enforce it. You can report teenagers who are breaking laws without a curfew.

I'm still at a loss as to why teens, especially younger ones need to be out at midnight on school nights. Someone explain this to me. Why are parents to offended their parental rights are being trounced on? I have four children and I am in no way bothered by this curfew. My kids have no business being out that late on a school night, they are in studying, eating dinner, and doing chores. If they are playing sports they are in well before midnight. If they go out to a friend's house they are still in well before the curfew since they have to be up at 5:30am getting ready for school. I can still parent my children with a curfew in place.

Why not make it EASIER for law enforcement by taking the teens off of the street and removing several hundred (if not a good thousand or so) that they now do not need to worry about. Again, if they aren't causing trouble they shouldn't have a problem with being in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if a curfew would help that much. I think setting a curfew is up to the parents.

I think the biggest issue is boredom. Two months off and if they aren't doing anything (work, camp, volunteering, etc) they get bored and start doing stupid stuff.

The issue is absent parents. The kids that really don't need the curfew aren't affected in the first place so the curfew shouldn't be so offense to their parents. Those kids aren't put getting into trouble, so why be so against the curfew if your children are at home doing what they are suppose to be doing? Why not allow law enforcement the ability to deal with the other children and fine the parents who refuse to parent their children. Look at this from another perspective, not YOUR perspective. This issue doesn't just touch the priviledged kids of Bethesda or Potomac.

The privileged kids in Bethesda and Potomac are just as susceptible to boredom and doing stupid things as any other teenager. They also are not more likely to not have a curfew or have parents enforcing rules at home. Remember those teenagers who murdered a man in Potomac last year?

My point is I'm not sure if having an enforced curfew will do a lot of good, especially if the police don't have the resources to enforce it. You can report teenagers who are breaking laws without a curfew.

I'm still at a loss as to why teens, especially younger ones need to be out at midnight on school nights. Someone explain this to me. Why are parents to offended their parental rights are being trounced on? I have four children and I am in no way bothered by this curfew. My kids have no business being out that late on a school night, they are in studying, eating dinner, and doing chores. If they are playing sports they are in well before midnight. If they go out to a friend's house they are still in well before the curfew since they have to be up at 5:30am getting ready for school. I can still parent my children with a curfew in place.

Why not make it EASIER for law enforcement by taking the teens off of the street and removing several hundred (if not a good thousand or so) that they now do not need to worry about. Again, if they aren't causing trouble they shouldn't have a problem with being in.

They obviously don't need to be out until midnight. But again - how feasible is it for law enforcement to keep up with a law like this and how would it impact their ability to enforce other laws?

My issue isn't with interfering with "parental rights' my issue is 1. I'm not convinced it would be effective and 2. I'm not convinced we have the resources for it - especially considering all of the budget/economy issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if a curfew would help that much. I think setting a curfew is up to the parents.

I think the biggest issue is boredom. Two months off and if they aren't doing anything (work, camp, volunteering, etc) they get bored and start doing stupid stuff.

The privileged kids in Bethesda and Potomac are just as susceptible to boredom and doing stupid things as any other teenager. They also are not more likely to not have a curfew or have parents enforcing rules at home. Remember those teenagers who murdered a man in Potomac last year?

My point is I'm not sure if having an enforced curfew will do a lot of good, especially if the police don't have the resources to enforce it. You can report teenagers who are breaking laws without a curfew.

yeah, the kids on youtube looked like bored Potomac kids ....

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of, of all things, sodomy laws. They are only enforced for specific reasons/crimes. Sodomy laws are enforced in the case of rape. I would imagine curfew laws would be enforced in the case of teenagers doing other things that just happen to be after their curfew.

Or, so that lawmakers can show that they are "tough on crime" in an election year.

[Anonymous]

Flash mobs are fun, whimsical dancing groups. Violent unexpected mobs of teenagers are not. Let's get it straight people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flash mobs are fun, whimsical dancing groups. Violent unexpected mobs of teenagers are not. Let's get it straight people.

No, you are incorrect.

A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, or artistic expression. Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails



Also, the national news began using the term "flash mob" in regards to the thieves, not anyone on DCUM, but none the less, they are indeed a "flash mob".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This reminds me of, of all things, sodomy laws. They are only enforced for specific reasons/crimes. Sodomy laws are enforced in the case of rape. I would imagine curfew laws would be enforced in the case of teenagers doing other things that just happen to be after their curfew.

Or, so that lawmakers can show that they are "tough on crime" in an election year.

What you describe is selective enforcement, and it can be a violation of Due Process. You do realize that sodomy laws were also once used selectively to prosecute gay people, yes, and that they have been struck down under Lawrence v. Kansas, yes?

[Anonymous]

Hey angry pants, clearly you studied very well in your first year of law school--good for you. I hope you enjoy your next two years before graduation.