D.C.’s emergency curfew for young people is set to expire during spring break as planned, after the council delayed a vote Tuesday that would have extended the measure all summer.
The D.C. Council voted 9-4 to delay a decision on the emergency legislation, despite concerns from some lawmakers that warm weather could spark a resurgence of so-called “teen takeovers.”
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson called to postpone the vote until the council’s next legislative meeting on April 21
In an email to WTOP, Mendelson’s office offered an explanation for the delay.
“The Chairman moved to postpone the vote because some members voiced concerns/questions about the legislation and he wanted to give them more time to speak with Councilmember Pinto and the Mayor about those concerns,” the statement reads.
The postponement means the curfew is slated to expire April 15, about a week before the rescheduled vote is expected to take place.
“DCPS will be in the middle of their spring break at that time, and we are weeks away from the start of summer, a time when we know we usually see an increase in large gatherings of our young people,” Council member Brooke Pinto said before the vote was pushed back.
Nine council members would need to approve the emergency legislation for it to pass and extend the curfew to Sept. 25.
Pinto argued gaps in the curfew could create unsafe conditions in the District.
“It is unacceptable for our neighbors to face outbreaks of violence,” Pinto said. “It’s unacceptable to put our young people in harm’s way, and we’ve seen this in recent weeks in Navy Yard, Hill East and U Street, in particular.”
About 200 people congregated in Navy Yard on March 14. Police said someone fired a gun into the air, multiple people were robbed and two teens were arrested.
Under the citywide curfew, kids under 18 can’t be out in public or at an establishment in D.C. from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., with some exceptions.
The law also gives the chief of D.C. police the authority to designate certain areas as juvenile curfew zones. In those areas, people under 18 cannot gather in a group of nine or more. Those zones can prohibit minors from gathering after 8 p.m., ahead of the general citywide curfew.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser first introduced emergency legislation aimed at reeling in large gatherings of young people in June 2025. Some meetups have turned violent in recent years, with teens fighting and getting arrested.
There have been 19 youth curfew zones declared over the last eight months. Pinto argued the zones prevent a strain on resources for D.C. police.
“When MPD gets intel about planned, so-called ‘teen takeovers’ or other unsafe activities, sometimes planned fights, the department can determine where to designate these juvenile curfew zones as a preventive tool,” she said.
Some council members have opposed the curfews in the past, arguing they’re a temporary fix instead of investing in youth services.
“I also believe we need to be investing in youth programming and making sure kids and teens have safe and enjoyable places to go throughout the city,” Pinto said. “We have to do both. We’re going to do both, and we cannot stall when it comes to implementing effective preventive tools that will keep our neighbors safe.”
During a news conference Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called for a permanent curfew but also said it’s not the time to let the emergency legislation expire.
“I think the council should stop playing games with this. This is a tool that we need,” Bowser said Monday. “We’re going to come back 90 days from now, stop playing games and move to permanent.”
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Pinto told WTOP she believed a permanent curfew law would pass the council.
WTOP’s Thomas Robertson contributed to this report.
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