Following a rowdy Fourth of July weekend, Mayor Muriel Bowser set a strict 11 p.m. curfew for teens 17 and under after a unanimous vote for the motion. According to WUSA9, the previous summer curfew was midnight and only applied to teens 16 and under.
The motion allows for the mayor and police to create curfew zones, typically high-incident zones, where curfews can be even stricter. In Navy Yard, the curfew is as early as 8 p.m. The emergency motion came after a busy and unlawful holiday weekend, where police arrested 23 minors, some with illegal fireworks, with some incidents escalating into violence.
According to Fox5DC, the response has been mixed from locals, with some in the heavily impacted neighborhoods of Navy Yard frustrated with the lack of police. They claim the curfew is just a start and more needs to be done. Some comments on Mayor Bowser’s Facebook announcement asked for the curfew to be even earlier or argued that the curfew will be ineffective to the worst offenders.
In an effort to bring some positivity to the youth, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation is bringing back their “Late Night Hype” event to provide a positive place for kids to hang out. Christina Henderson, D.C. Council member at large, had this to say about the situation. “There are lots of activities for young people to do, but I also encourage communities to think outside of the box in terms of how to create atmospheres and opportunities on your block, on your street, and in order to engage young folks.”
Other efforts to engage with the youth happened at the D.C’s 15th annual Anti-Violence Youth Summit that took place on July 8th.