Dozens of cities across the country are imposing curfews, but do they work?

Some criminologists have reservations about curfews, particularly given the scarcity of research about their effectiveness

June 01, 2020 12:24 PM

Mainly peaceful during the day, protests over the death of George Floyd grew increasingly violent once curfew enforcement began in cities across the country. Image: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Vox
By Zeeshan Aleem

Local officials have ordered curfews in dozens of cities and counties across the nation in response to demonstrations spurred by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by police during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last week.

These protests have grown in size and intensity in the days following Floyd’s killing; although they have largely been peaceful, some looting, property damage, and a number of deaths led officials in at least 39 cities and counties across 21 states to institute curfews. But some criminologists have reservations about curfews, particularly given the scarcity of research about their effectiveness — and warn the curfews currently being instituted could backfire.

In many cities — including Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Reno, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles — protesters defied those curfews on Saturday, meaning protests, including some featuring violence on the part of police and agitators, continued. And that police made arrests not only for criminal acts like theft and arson, but also for violating curfew.