Brookhaven police warn of organized teen 'takeovers' and urge residents to report dangerous e‑bike behavior

The Brookhaven police chief told the City Council on March 10 that law enforcement across the Atlanta metro has responded to organized teen "takeovers" that can be violent and disruptive, and that some events have involved juveniles armed with firearms.

The chief said departments are taking a "zero tolerance" approach to the activity and warned that teens involved in takeovers can face serious criminal charges and that parents may be held accountable where applicable. He urged parents to know where their children are during the upcoming spring‑break week when eight major metro school districts will be on break, including DeKalb County.

The chief also described recent local enforcement actions: Brookhaven officers arrested four or five juveniles involved in dangerous electric‑bike activity and related vandalism, and the department has impounded bikes in appropriate cases. He emphasized that the city’s drone first‑responder program responds to incidents but is not used for general surveillance.

Councilmembers asked how residents and HOAs should report incidents. The chief said all Brookhaven calls for dispatch go through 911 (the city does not maintain a separate nonemergency line) and that a 911 call may prompt both a drone and a ground unit response when appropriate. He added that enforcement on private HOA property differs from enforcement on public roadways: HOAs may enforce their own rules on private property, whereas the city can enforce traffic and park ordinances on public roads and public parkland.

The police presentation closed with a reminder that unsafe e‑bike and e‑scooter use can lead to serious injury or death, and the department urged the public to report ongoing dangerous operating behavior so officers can locate participants and engage parents where needed.

The meeting moved on after the police report; no additional enforcement policy changes were voted on at this meeting.