Cleveland’s New Summer Plan: Curfews, Jobs and Police Patrols

Cleveland is trying to keep teens safe this summer. The city will use curfews, more police patrols and new programs to fight crime. Mayor Justin Bibb said the plan starts before Memorial Day. The curfew rules are strict. Kids under 12 must be home by dark. Those 13 and 14 have to return by 9:30 p. m. , ages 15 and 16 by 11 p. m. , and 17‑year‑olds must be home by midnight. Only work trips are allowed outside these times. But research shows curfews may not help much. A study from 2016 looked at curfew laws in Ohio, California, Maryland and other states. It found crime went up a little during curfew hours. The study said the effect was not significant, and teen victim numbers did not change. The mayor still sees curfews as part of a bigger plan. He said parents must know where their kids are. If parents ignore the rules, they can be fined up to $250 or jailed for 30 days. Repeat offenders may have to do community service.Cleveland has a long history of youth crime. Teenagers as young as 12 have been arrested for gun possession, homicide and car break‑ins. The police created a unit called STANCE to stop low‑level crimes that often lead to violence. The city also offers jobs. It plans 2, 200 summer jobs for young people. In addition, it runs a 3‑on‑3 basketball program for ages 10 to 21, including those coming out of jail. Parks and recreation centers will have free programs all summer, and pool hours were extended to seven days a week from 1 p. m. to 7 p. m. Police Chief Dorothy Todd said police visibility matters. She wants officers in neighborhoods all day and night to keep teens from staying out after dark. That can stop bad things from happening, she said. The plan mixes curfews, jobs and police presence. Whether it works remains to be seen. The city hopes the new mix will keep teens safe and give them positive choices.