WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — On Tuesday, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation extending the current youth curfew.
The changes come after repeated issues with large groups of teens gathering and causing chaos in areas like Navy Yard and the Wharf.
Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed the legislation, which was introduced by Councilmember Brooke Pinto.
Under the legislation, a daily city-wide curfew will be in place for those 17 and under starting at 11 p.m. in July and August. Previously, curfew began at midnight and applied to those under 17.
The emergency legislation also allows the police chief to enact “extended curfew zones,” targeting specific areas, like U Street or Navy Yard.
“Right now, MPD is finding a hard time to corral large groups of youth,” said Councilmember Zachary Parker. “We’re hoping this tool does not make it easier to incarcerate or arrest young people, but provide MPD a tool to disperse them when they gather.”
Unlike the Mayor’s original proposal, which allowed the extended zones to be enacted for 15 days and apply to groups of three or more unsupervised kids, the council amended it to apply to groups of eight or more and only be in place for four days.
The curfew for these zones will also begin at 8 p.m., as opposed to the Mayor’s proposal of 7 p.m.
“Summer months, it’s lighter longer,” Parker said. “We need to ensure there is flexibility with youth to productively engage across the city.”
Officers must give groups two verbal warnings before taking any action.
The emergency legislation applies for 90 days and begins immediately.
At this point, no extended curfew zones have been designated.
