DC mayor intends to declare emergency to bring back curfew zones
Hours before the District of Columbia’s law that allows police to establish curfew zones for teens was set to expire Wednesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she intended to declare a mayoral emergency to revive the measure.
Bowser said the move is intended to provide a bridge to the next D.C. Council meeting on April 21, where the issue is expected to come up for a vote.
Bowser repeated her support for the Juvenile Curfew Second Temporary Amendment Act of 2025 that gives authority to the Metropolitan Police Department to establish juvenile curfew zones in designated areas from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The zoned approach is intended to stop mass gatherings of teens in places such as the Navy Yard, where so-called “teen takeovers” have often erupted into fights and led to arrests.
Under the bill that was in effect until April 15, anyone under the age of 18 who gathers in groups of nine or more in designated zones would be in violation of the curfew. According to the provision, the parents or guardians of children under the age of 18 could be fined up to $500 or be assigned community service if a child in their care violates the curfew.
