FOX45 News has learned there appears to be staffing concerns as the citywide youth curfew in Baltimore is set to be enforced again this weekend. According to a memo, the Mayor's Office is looking for city employees to volunteer to staff youth connection centers and other engagement areas.
It's an initiative detailed last week by Mayor Brandon Scott and other city officials with plans for the mayor's summer youth engagement strategy which includes the reinstatement of the city's youth curfew.
"(It's a plan) in a way, and I want to be very clear about this, that limits unnecessary interactions with law enforcement," said Scott.
Instead, according to the plan, social workers will engage youth with help from city partners.
But FOX45 has learned, despite the mayor calling the launch of the initiative a "complete success" this week there's seemingly difficulty with staffing to help carry out the curfew mandate.
According to an email, Deputy Mayor Dr. Letitia Dzirasa issued a "high-importance alert" to city employees Wednesday. Telling them, the administration is "challenged" in finding adult eyes to monitor minors expected to congregate this weekend at Federal Hill, Fells Point, and the Inner Harbor.
Yuripzy Morgan, of the group People for Elected Accountability and Civic Engagement, weighs in on the latest developments involving Scott's plan.
"This unfortunately is just another example of poor planning. What (Scott) is trying to do with the youth curfew, it's a good idea. But you have to be able to put it into practice," said Morgan.
But the immediate goal now is to encourage city employees to volunteer between 8 pm and 2 am this Friday and Saturday. The city wants at least 9 city employees each weekend to be assigned. Compensation for volunteers includes overtime or comp time.
Among their engagement protocols: "Use their best judgment in determining youth's ages;" "Let them know that curfew activation is in effect;" and "Ask if they need assistance calling a parent/guardian for pickup."
But for Morgan, to ask volunteers to engage with youth is troublesome.
"I can tell you that the attorney in me is cringing. You're dealing with young people. There's no indication, these are volunteers, he's asking for volunteers, is there going to be some kind of background check system? You can't send people in there blindly to do what, just be hall monitors," said Morgan.
The citywide curfew begins Friday9 pm for youth 14 and younger and 10 pm for youth 16 and under. After June 13th the curfew hour increases by one hour for each group.