Police in Washington, D.C., will enforce a youth curfew over Memorial Day weekend after several instances of young mobs wreaking havoc across the city.
The Wharf area of Washington will be off limits for youth under 18 from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. across the holiday weekend. Any juveniles out in the area after 5 p.m. must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least 21 years old.
The curfew will end at 5 a.m. Tuesday.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser noted “some concerning trends with how our young people are socializing” at a press conference on Friday.
She urged parents to be vigilant, telling them to monitor their children’s social media use and activities outside the home. This message was echoed by other speakers, including the chief of police.
Bowser is looking to decrease youth violence by offering alternative types of entertainment in a safe, monitored location.
The center of this effort is a three-day Holiday Hype at the Banneker Recreation Center. It will offer free music, food, games, and NBA watch parties. The center will be open Friday through Sunday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
“At DPR, we believe that recreation is prevention,” Department of Parks and Recreation Director Thennie Freeman said. “Our rec centers, our programs, and our people are here to provide structure, opportunity, and joy to young people all across the District.”
“We are focused on creating safe spaces for teenagers to have fun in our city. It’s also important that parents know where their kids are and what they’re doing. As we head into the summer, let’s work together to get this right,” she said in a post on X.
Bowser also promised an increased Metropolitan Police Department presence in neighborhoods across the city.
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Washington has dealt with many rambunctious young people for the past few months. Mobs of hundreds of youths have converged on locations throughout the city to wreak havoc, with massive fights requiring responses from hundreds of police officers.
Last month, the Washington Examiner’s Zachary Halaschak caught one group fleeing the police in Navy Yard. An ambulance was called to treat the casualties.
