Legislation Details

Reference No. CB-029-2024    Draft No.
Type: Council Bill Status: Enacted
Meeting Body County Council
Meeting Date 6/4/2024
Introduced Date 4/30/2024 Public Hearing Date 06/04/2024 @ 10:00 AM
Effective date: 8/9/2024    
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING JUVENILE AND MINOR CURFEW ZONES for the purpose of allowing commercial property owners the ability to request the Police Chief to create zones within the County with a more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew; providing for the application for a more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew zone including the specification of the area covered following reasonable geographical boundaries; providing that the proposed area is primarily commercial; providing that the applicant demonstrates the ability to provide notice to the public of the more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew zone; and providing the applicant includes a letter of support from at least one County Council member that represents the district containing the more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew zone.
Proposers/Sponsors: Edward P. Burroughs
Code sections: 14-101 - , 14-102 - , 14-103 - , 14-104 - , 14-105 - , 14-106 - , 14-106.01 -
Attachments: 1. CB-029-2024 - signed, 2. B2024029, 3. CB-029-2024 Summary, 4. CB-029-2024 PAFI, 5. CB-029-2024 Report
Related files: CR-039-2024
Contact: Amanda Denison, Chief Legislative Attorney

Title

AN ACT CONCERNING JUVENILE AND MINOR CURFEW ZONES for the purpose of allowing commercial property owners the ability to request the Police Chief to create zones within the County with a more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew; providing for the application for a more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew zone including the specification of the area covered following reasonable geographical boundaries; providing that the proposed area is primarily commercial; providing that the applicant demonstrates the ability to provide notice to the public of the more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew zone; and providing the applicant includes a letter of support from at least one County Council member that represents the district containing the more restrictive juvenile or minor curfew zone.

 

Background

This bill vests the chief of police with the authority to create more restrictive juvenile curfew zones when retail/commercial property owners petition the chief of police. In response to the recent increase in criminal activity in this and neighboring counties the County Council with the assistance of local law enforcement must take more aggressive measures to fight the increase in criminal activity in the County. A large portion of criminal activity in the County is perpetrated by individuals under the age of 18. This bill is needed to fight the County's increase in juvenile criminal activity in its commercial zones. The County's authority to enact this bill is derived from its police powers delegated under Md. Local Government Code Ann. § 10-206.