U.S. Attorney Pirro Announces New Enforcement Measures Targeting Teen Takeovers

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced a more aggressive enforcement approach to address "teen takeover" gatherings that threaten public safety in the District of Columbia.

"Teen takeovers have disrupted neighborhoods, forced businesses to close temporarily, and diverted valuable law enforcement resources from the residents of the District," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "These incidents have become increasingly common in areas such as Navy Yard and NoMa and are often accompanied by criminal conduct, including assaults, robberies, fights, and other disorderly behavior. Even with the juvenile curfew being enforced by Mayor Muriel Bowser, there is still action that must be taken immediately. The D.C. Council refuses to deal with the problem, and their lack of action creates an extremely dangerous situation for the people of the District and the teens themselves. Law abiding taxpayers should not subsidize chaos caused by parental neglect. Parents do your job, or we will do ours."

As part of this initiative, the U.S. Attorney's Office will increase enforcement of existing laws addressing parental responsibility when minors engage in criminal conduct in the District. Under the District's curfew law and D.C. Code § 22-811 (Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor), adults who facilitate, enable, or knowingly permit a minor to engage in delinquent acts may face criminal penalties of up to six months of incarceration. Charges may be pursued regardless of whether the juvenile is separately prosecuted.

The Office will work with its Metropolitan Police Department partners to seek parental citations when a minor's curfew violation is connected to a takeover-related incident. These enforcement actions may include mandatory parental notification, court-ordered parenting classes, or family counseling as part of the resolution of the case.