Pop-up teen gatherings overtaking D.C. nightlife neighborhoods
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A curfew zone in Navy Yard in August. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Mayor Muriel Bowser has a message for teens: Stop wildin' out.
Why it matters: Huge gatherings of young people are vexing Bowser and the police chief, after some have led to robberies and guns being recovered.
State of play: The D.C. Council enacted a strict youth curfew over the summer in response to late-night rowdiness, but it's now expired.
- Teen takeovers are back.
- Hundreds have congregated in places like Navy Yard and U Street in recent weeks, the word getting out on social media.
- Bowser says D.C. police need ways to deter gatherings that can lead to crime, including investigating whether adults are involved in cases that involve guns or violence.
- She also wants a new curfew in place.
Zoom in: The Metropolitan Police Department told Axios there were "several large juvenile gatherings" on Saturday at Navy Yard, the Waterfront area (near the Southwest Metro stop), Chinatown and U Street.
- "What we saw over the weekend was unacceptable," Bowser said Monday. "But sadly, it was predictable, with young people wilding out."
- She called on parents to keep track of their kids.
The big picture: Since President Trump's takeover of D.C. police ended, the summer surge of federal agents has also retreated from neighborhoods.
- Friday night and early Saturday morning, seven shootings injured 12 people, according to MPD. None involved juveniles.
Friction point: Earlier this month, lawmakers rejected extending the summer's curfew. They wanted time for the public to weigh in, the Washington Post reported.
- The summer curfew allowed the police chief to designate temporary zones — busy areas like the Wharf or U Street — with an 8pm curfew.
- The most recent proposal would have slapped a citywide curfew on everyone younger than 18 and taken effect at 11pm.
What's next: Bowser supports a strict curfew and said she's working on getting one through the council.