Overview
- Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency that took effect May 22 and runs through June 6 to reinstate juvenile curfew authority.
- The order covers all people under 18 including 17‑year‑olds and establishes a baseline nightly curfew the mayor said begins at 11 p.m.
- The Metropolitan Police chief can designate targeted curfew zones when nine or more youths are expected to gather and may bar groups of nine or more from gathering in those zones starting at 8 p.m.
- City officials said the action responds to recurring large 'teen takeover' gatherings and recent violence such as a brawl at a Navy Yard Chipotle that left officers without extended curfew powers.
- The D.C. Council approved a permanent curfew law earlier this spring but that measure has not taken effect and requires congressional review, so the emergency order is meant to bridge enforcement while broader youth engagement and civil liberty concerns are debated.