CAMBRIDGE, Md. - The cost of violating a juvenile curfew in Cambridge may be disappearing.
In a 3 to 2 vote ratio, Commissioners Lajan Cephas, Sputty Cephas, and Brian Roche voted Monday night to move forward with the original 12-month ordinance. That ordinance includes the financial consequences if a child is caught outside past the curfew. But, some want to remove the financial consequences for kids caught outside past deadline.
Commissioners Laurel Atkiss and Jameson Harrington voted against the original curfew.
Mayor Steve Rideout proposed an amended version of the juvenile curfew. That version would eliminate the financial consequences and implement a 'local care team' for the juvenile and their family. In an agenda memo Rideout describes the 'Local Care Team' as a collaborative group of the local child and family serving agencies that are led by the Local Management Board and include the following local agencies: Dorchester County Public Schools, Dorchester Department of Social Services, Dorchester Health Department including substance abuse and mental health services, and the Department of Juvenile Services. Upon the agreement of a majority of the Local Care Team, it may include, on a case-by-case basis, other service organizations or individuals as determined by the regular members of the Local Care Team to have relevant information regarding a child or family.
Rideout says this version would be more productive towards keeping kids inside and empowering families.
Commissioner Atkiss explained, during the meeting, that a pause on a vote might be best. Many constituents came forward to request a public hearing on the amended version. Atkiss says, "I think it's worth listening to him [Rideout] and empowering our people instead of punishing them. I understand the knee jerk reaction to want to see accountability but we can see accountability in another way."
Rideout says he might be vetoing the vote to enable more discussion on the amended version.
During the meeting, Commissioner Sputty Cephas explained he understands the need for more discussion but something needs to be done now.
Cephas says, "In that period are we just going to continue to have nothing in place? Or are we going to act on it? At 12:20 last night there were gunshots in my neighborhood. Just saying."
Mayor Rideout says the version with local care team would provide services and programs to build up the family rather than penalize them.
"Therapy treatment, mentors, programming, all is an important part of it," says Rideout. He goes on to say, "All the original ordinance does is punish parents. It doesn't hold kids accountable."
During the meeting, Commissioner Lajan Cephas expressed her opinion. "If the veto passes, the majority of our council does not want to keep our children safe."
But people in the City say they want more discussion on both options.
"I like the concept of pulling in both concepts together and getting the community engaged in those conversations," says Jermaine Anderson.
Mayor Rideout says his veto will be written by Wednesday. Then at the next commissioner meeting, commissioners could decide to either override the veto or sustain it.
