About 50 teens arrested in Philly curfew crackdown

PHILADELPHIA -- Police in Philadelphia say they arrested about 50 teenagers for violating a newly enforced curfew for minors aimed at cracking down on mobs of young people responsible for random attacks on people as well as property damage.

Police spokeswoman Officer Tanya Little says the arrests began about 9 p.m. Friday throughout downtown and on South Street, a strip of bars, restaurants and stores at the edge of downtown that has long been a hangout for teens and 20-somethings.

Mayor Michael Nutter announced last week a curfew of 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays downtown and in nearby University City, home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. In other parts of the city, the curfew remains 10 p.m. for those under 13 and midnight for those under 18.