28-05-2025
DC police chief says Memorial Day weekend juvenile curfew was 'a success'
The Brief
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith says the Memorial Day weekend juvenile curfew was a success.
The police department has been under pressure to address escalating violence and disorder involving juveniles.
To provide alternatives for teens, the city opened the Banneker Recreation Center, which saw more than 700 young people over the weekend.
WASHINGTON - D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith is calling this past weekend's juvenile curfew a success, following growing concerns over large youth gatherings in the city that have frequently turned chaotic.
What we know
The Metropolitan Police Department has been under pressure to address escalating violence and disorder involving juveniles, particularly in popular nightlife, tourist and entertainment areas. In response, the department implemented a targeted youth curfew over the holiday weekend.
Chief Smith said the curfew—which prohibited anyone under 18 from being at The Wharf without a parent or guardian from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.—resulted in a peaceful holiday period with no reported incidents in the Wharf Area.
"This weekend emphasized to me and some of our leaders and our parents that we can achieve great success when we work together to support our youth by creating structure, providing initiatives and staying focused on prevention," said Smith.
She also issued a message to families.
"Just a reminder to our parents and our guardians: please know where your children are. I've said it over and over again—we want our young people to thrive in our community. We want them to be successful, and one of the reasons why we impose the curfew specifically at The Wharf was to be sure that we are not having disorderly behavior in those areas," Smith said.
According to police, the few juveniles seen at The Wharf were encouraged to leave and did so without incident. While the Wharf remained calm, enforcement in other parts of the city continued. Officers issued 13 curfew citations, mainly in the U Street corridor, and a total of six juveniles were arrested citywide over the weekend.
Dig deeper
To provide alternatives for teens, the city also opened the Banneker Recreation Center, which saw more than 700 young people participate in activities throughout the weekend.
Public response to the curfew has been largely supportive, with many emphasizing the role of parents in ensuring youth safety.
"It comes down to parenting, and knowing where your kids are," said Cathy Randall, a local resident.
"One of the things we need to do is strengthen families," added youth and family advocate Stuart Anderson. "When we have stronger families, it leads to stronger communities."
Chief Smith also addressed the broader issue of gun violence in the city, noting several shootings over the weekend. She emphasized that in many of these cases, the individuals involved knew each other.
"We are seeing far too many instances of people resorting to firearms to resolve their conflicts," she said.
As summer approaches and school lets out, city leaders say they plan to continue curfew enforcement and invest in more youth programming in hopes of reducing violence and providing safe spaces for D.C.'s young people.
