(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, working with Ward 2 Councilmember and Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety Brooke Pinto, announced the Juvenile Curfew Emergency Amendment Act of 2025, emergency legislation to strengthen and enhance enforcement and accountability tools for juveniles, with a specific focus on a stronger and more flexible curfew program.
“Most of our young people are doing the right thing, but unfortunately, we continue to see troubling trends in how groups of young people are gathering in the community – in ways that too often lead to violence and other unlawful behaviors,” said Mayor Bowser. “And when we see patterns of unsafe or unlawful behavior that put young people and the community at risk, we have to act. This emergency legislation gives us stronger, more flexible tools to prevent violence and disorder before it starts and to keep our community safe.”
The legislation seeks flexibility in the District’s juvenile curfew to allow the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to ensure the safety of juveniles and the public. The legislation is being submitted for consideration by the Council of the District of Columbia’s July 1 Legislative Meeting.
“Our young people deserve safe and engaging recreation spaces throughout our city and this summer we must explore additional programming to support their diverse interests and activities,” said Councilmember Brooke Pinto. “We also must empower the Chief of Police with additional tools to protect our kids and prevent violence before it occurs with the authority to call for certain areas to have earlier curfews for kids if situations get out of control with large groups. We can and must do both.”
While MPD has used various methods to address past conduct of juveniles, including enhanced enforcement of the disturbance of the peace offenses, working with local businesses on signage related to trespassing by unaccompanied minors, and requests for a restricted curfew in the Wharf, the tools available are limited.
The legislation will ensure the safety of juveniles and the public by:
- Changing the juvenile curfew hours to 11 pm every day in July and August 2025, and to extend the applicability of the juvenile curfew to 17-year-olds.
- Authorizing the Chief of Police of MPD to establish an extended juvenile curfew zone(s). This proposal mirrors the parameters of the popular drug free zones from the Secure DC Omnibus bill signed into law by Mayor Bowser in March 2024. For these extended juvenile curfew zones, the curfew will begin at 7 pm and remain in effect for 15 consecutive days, with a possibility of extension based on public safety considerations for up to 30 days. An Advisory Neighborhood Commission, business improvement district, or Main Street organization can also petition the Chief of Police to establish an extended juvenile curfew hours zone.
- Allowing the Mayor to authorize an emergency juvenile curfew.
In May, Mayor Bowser shared she was prepared to adjust the District’s public safety posture, especially as it relates to recent disturbances involving juveniles in commercial areas across the District, and introduce legislation updating the District’s curfew. Recent incidents of large groups of juveniles engaging in harmful, and often times criminal conduct in multiple areas around the city, including the Wharf, Navy Yard, Dupont Circle, and U Street, led to the emergency legislation.
This spring, MPD increased police presence in neighborhoods across the city, with the goal of preventing and disrupting negative behavior and strictly enforcing laws around disturbance of the public peace offenses.
The District continues to support youth who want to engage in positive behaviors by offering a host of summer programming, including the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program as well as the Department of Park and Recreation’s (DPR) summer camps and Late Night Hype series. Late Night Hype is DPR’s nighttime carnival-style event featuring music, food, video games, and talent shows. In addition to its normal setup, the summer-long event series will now feature activations from MPD, including the Side by Side Band and community resources, all while bringing youth and families together with MPD through community engagement.
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