Police in America’s capital announced three Juvenile Curfew Zones running from March 20 to March 22 after the gathering of hundreds of teens allegedly led to robberies and gunfire.
The Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced Juvenile Curfew Zones in the Navy Yard, Chinatown and U Street Corridor neighborhoods. The zones prohibit the gathering of nine or more minors “in any public place or on the premises of any establishment” between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. (RELATED: Teachers Union Tries To Cancel School So Students Can Protest Trump With Them)
A general citywide curfew for minors across the capital is still in effect from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the morning after, and some exemptions to the curfews are listed for specific scenarios. A minor found breaking the curfew may be directed to carry out up to 25 hours of community service, police said.
DC police have announced juvenile curfew zones for this weekend for U St., navy yard and gallery place pic.twitter.com/vgCLD1PNhi
— Spencer Allan Brooks (@SpencerSays) March 19, 2026
The MPD reported a “large group of juveniles engaging in disorderly activity” the night of March 14 at the Navy Yard, one of the neighborhoods impacted. Approximately 200 teenagers allegedly gathered together by 8:30 p.m. Police said they made two arrests and recovered two firearms.
One juvenile victim was allegedly assaulted by multiple suspects and robbed of their shoes and jacket. Two other juveniles were assaulted and robbed by multiple suspects, resulting in a visit to the hospital for minor injuries, the MPD statement said.
One suspect discharged a firearm into the air and was stopped by National Guard personnel before the MPD retrieved the weapon, causing the arrested of a 15-year-old juvenile male, police said. The teen allegedly fired multiple shots into the night air, ABC 7 News reported.
Police took a 16-year-old juvenile male into for carrying a pistol without a license after Secret Service officers observed the suspect try to throw away a firearm during a traffic stop, the MPD alleged.
Interim Chief of Police Jeffrey W. Carroll said such behavior cannot be tolerated and added that he was thankful that no one was severely hurt. “We need parents and guardians to be proactive and know where their children are and who they are with at all times.”
#Breaking MPD to announce three expanded juvenile curfew zones to span from Friday, March 20, through Sunday, March 22:
-Navy Yard
-Chinatown
-U StreetAnnouncement comes after teen takeover in Navy Yard last weekend ended in gunfire.
Video courtesy: @Robbb1947 https://t.co/5KHDRHSEqC pic.twitter.com/MIYxfZ2Ndb
— Christian Flores (@CFloresNews) March 19, 2026
The MPD’s authority to order the Juvenile Curfew Zone comes from the Juvenile Curfew Second Temporary Amendment Act of 2025, an emergency act. It grants the chief of the MPD authority to set up the curfew zones “in an area where large groups of youths are gathering or intend to gather in a manner that poses a risk of substantial harm to public safety,” according to the MPD statement.
The act is scheduled to expire in April, with D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto telling ABC 7 News that although she had pushed the juvenile curfew bill in 2025, it currently does not have the votes it needs to be extended. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Congress Expands Investigation Into DC Sewage Crisis)
“I’m really worried about that and think it is a tool that has helped curtail some of these actions,” Pinto said. “I am considering a permanent bill, but right now it does not have the votes.”