Committee advances Juvenile Curfew Amendment Act to curb "teen takeovers," extends curfew to 17‑year‑olds

Councilmember Brooke Pinto presented the permanent Juvenile Curfew Amendment Act of 2026 on April 9, 2026, saying the bill formalizes emergency measures adopted previously to address "unsupervised teen takeovers" and other endangering gatherings. Pinto said the tool aims to prevent harm while reducing police contact with youth by targeting unsupervised groups and coupling curfew authority with investments in youth programming.

Pinto described the bill's key provisions: setting curfew hours to begin at 11:00 p.m. (including weekends and summer months), extending curfew applicability to 17‑year‑olds, and giving the Chief of Police authority to establish extended curfew periods for up to four consecutive days that apply to unsupervised groups of eight or more under age 18. Pinto noted the first emergency version passed unanimously on July 1, 2025, and that committee recommendations encourage MPD to expand youth advisory engagement and officer training to minimize disparate impacts. "These so called unsupervised teen takeovers are a novel problem that have sprung up around the nation with the rise of social media," Pinto said.

After the chair moved the bill to print and report, At‑Large Councilmember Anita Bonds reiterated support and clarified the bill targets unsupervised groups of eight or more and uses an 11:00 p.m. start time on specific dates; Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder expressed support but urged greater emphasis on parental accountability and broader programming. The committee voted to report the bill unanimously. Pinto said a Regulatory and Economic Impact Analysis (REIA) placeholder exists and is expected to be complete before the April 21 full‑Council legislative meeting when the first Council vote on the bill will occur.