Some residents in D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood have begun an aggressive push to lower the District's youth curfew to 8 p.m., or even earlier, after dozens of teenagers, and even younger children, swarmed the area Saturday.
There were reports of fights, disorderly conduct and two alleged robberies. Over the weekend, police linked a robbery to a group of teens who had been involved in a large fight. Now, residents are telling News4 that young people even made their way onto the upper floors of some apartment buildings.
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WATCH HERE“Summer hasn’t even begun yet,” said Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Edward Daniels, whose district includes parts of Navy Yard. “Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer, is this coming weekend. We’ve seen this twice in three weeks.”
He said what happened around 9 p.m. Saturday, on top of a similar event in April, warrants a change in the District’s curfew law. Currently, those 17 and under cannot be on the streets without an adult between midnight and 6 a.m.
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SIGN UP There's now a call to make it earlier. In an interview with News4, Daniels mentioned 7 p.m.
“As parents, because I’m a parent of a teen, you have to make the executive decision for safety,” said Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Markita Bryant, who also represents parts of the Navy Yard neighborhood. “We saw what was happening down at the Wharf, and they implemented an 8 p.m. curfew. Now it’s Navy Yard and U Street left, so what do we do? I recommend we have a curfew down here."
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Bryant said constituents told her some of the teens passed security at apartment buildings and were running through the upper floors. She called on parents to take accountability.
“What I saw was that parents knew where their children were because they picked them up at the end of the night,” she said.
Resident Carolette Sweatt said she believes the solution requires a multi-layered approach.
“The schools are the target area, and that’s our link to find the families that have troubles or that have barriers that are stopping them,” she said.
Curfew regulations, and any changes to them, must be approved by the D.C. Council.
Neighbors worried about safety
After the robberies, fights and rowdy behavior over the weekend, some residents said they fear for their safety.
“I want my kids, not only my kids, I want everybody to be safe, you know?” Navy Yard resident Narda Loureiro said. “And when I see kids outside, if there is a problem going on, I always kind of think, ‘Are my kids going to be OK in the neighborhood?’”
Despite the current curfew, the last time D.C. police transferred a minor to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services for violating the curfew was in April. Some think adjusting the curfew could help.
“I think earlier would probably be better,” Navy Yard resident Annemarie Reisch said. “Twelve is maybe a little bit late for young kids in high school, so maybe around 10 or 11.”
Deshawn Johnson, who works at a restaurant in Navy Yard, said he thinks those who are underage should always be accompanied by adults to avoid future dangerous situations.
“I don't even feel safe working here anymore because that's like all these people who just come in, come out just because they want to have fun,” he said.
