With teen takeovers back, D.C. mulls more curfews
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Spring is here, and so are teen takeovers.
Why it matters: The massive and often disruptive youth gatherings are leading city hall to make another go at extending a controversial curfew.
Driving the news: Council member Brooke Pinto and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson are whipping votes to continue allowing D.C. police to declare youth curfew zones in certain neighborhoods like Navy Yard and Gallery Place.
- The current curfew zones law is scheduled to sunset on April 15.
Flashback: Earlier this month, about 200 teenagers took over the large park in front of the Navy Yard Metro station, leading to a 15-year-old firing a gun into the air, two robberies and a 16-year-old arrested, police said.
Friction point: While proponents say the temporary law helped crack down on fights and public nuisances, Pinto admitted last week that there weren't enough council members willing to keep curfews in place.
- That's because a handful of lawmakers believe they're a harsh response to young people, the vast majority of whom aren't violent at the gatherings, which are often organized on social media.
What they're saying: No arrests have been made in any of the zones so far, Pinto tells Axios — they're "a preventive tool."
- Without curfews, she says, MPD would need to deploy its short-staffed department to responding to large gatherings as they pop up.
- "It's really important as we head into spring break," Pinto says.
The big picture: Youth curfew zones were implemented last summer as part of a temporary law. They bar people 18 and under from congregating in groups of nine or more in certain geographic areas that police determine ahead of time.
- The curfews can be imposed starting as early as 8pm, earlier than the citywide daily curfew of 11pm.