Above, Speak City Heights video journalist Brian Myers shares the scene of a recent curfew sweep. He talks to volunteers and some of the teens they helped arrest Feb. 24. Most of those interviewed said the program is good for the community. But some interviews revealed teens are often arrested on their way home, sometimes from a restaurant or corner market.
By Brian Myers
Yesterday, we shared a report from Speak City Heights partner voiceofsandiego.org about the questionable growth of curfew sweeps programs in low-income neighborhoods. In areas such as southeast San Diego and City Heights, police have tripled curfew arrests in the past five years without analyzing whether they deter juvenile crime.
Reporter Keegan Kyle ran the analysis himself and found crime in areas with curfew sweeps is dropping at a much slower rate than crime in areas without sweeps programs. His findings call into question whether curfew sweeps unnecessarily introduce low-income, minority youth to the criminal justice system.
“Studies have shown that early contact with the criminal justice system can lead to a cycle of incarceration,” said Mid-City CAN Director Diana Ross in a letter to voiceofsandiego.org. “This begs the question of whether the curfew arrests are an entry point into the cradle-to-prison pipeline.”
But the San Diego Police Department and several community advocates maintain the program is good for City Heights youth. They say it keeps kids from becoming victims of crime, can help net gang affiliates and introduces at-risk youth to social services they might not otherwise get.
“It was the people of City Heights who asked the police to begin the sweeps,” said Theresa Quiroz, a board member for the City Heights Community Development Corporation, in a comment on the report. “It is the children of City Heights who benefit from the sweeps. Frankly, it is irrelevant what they do anywhere else. In City Heights, we care about the safety of our children.”
Above, Speak City Heights video journalist Brian Myers shares the scene of a recent curfew sweep. He talks to volunteers and some of the teens they helped arrest Feb. 24. Most of those interviewed said the program is good for the community. But some interviews revealed teens are often arrested on their way home, sometimes from a restaurant or corner market.
Text by Megan Burks