Overview
- Mayor Muriel Bowser brought back youth curfew zones for 15 days under an emergency order, following Wednesday's expiration of the law that had allowed police to set those zones.
- The order covers people under 18 and restores zone rules that restrict late-night hours, bar groups of nine or more minors, fine parents up to $500, and exempt youths with a parent, traveling to work, at sponsored activities, or exercising First Amendment rights.
- Interim police leadership can again declare hot-spot areas, such as entertainment districts, where zone curfews typically run overnight to limit large youth gatherings seen as a public-safety risk.
- D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto plans to pursue a permanent version when the Council meets April 21, setting up a decision on whether to keep, revise, or let the authority lapse.
- Supporters say the tool helps prevent mass 'teen takeover' events in places like Navy Yard, while legal and community advocates argue curfews do not reduce crime, can push problems elsewhere, and increase police contact for Black and unhoused teens.