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WASHINGTON - D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has reinstated a limited juvenile curfew for youth under 18, citing several weeks of disorderly behavior, including large groups of young people causing disruptions in the Navy Yard neighborhood.
What we know:
The curfew, enacted through a public emergency order, is part of the District’s broader strategy to protect public safety, Bowser’s office said.
The curfew took effect at 11 p.m. on April 16 and will continue nightly. The order remains in place for 15 days unless it is rescinded, modified or extended by the mayor or through subsequent legislation.
The order follows the same responsibilities and exemptions outlined in the Juvenile Curfew Act of 1995.
According to Bowser’s Office, the emergency measure also authorizes the Metropolitan Police Department’s interim chief to declare a juvenile curfew zone when at least nine youths are expected to gather, or have already gathered, in a way that endangers the safety of young people, residents or the public. In those zones, youth under 18 are prohibited from gathering in groups of nine or more beginning at 8 p.m.
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"The safety of our young people is the most important thing to me as Chief of Police and members of the Metropolitan Police Department," said Interim Chief of Police Jeffery W. Carroll in a statement. "Curfew zones, and an 11 pm citywide curfew, have been instrumental in keeping our young people safe. MPD will maintain a large presence through the weekend in areas where we have previously seen disorderly activity."
City officials say the expanded curfew authority has been used in targeted situations. So far in 2026, police have designated 14 curfew zones, each lasting no more than three days, resulting in seven total curfew violations.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Office of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and previous FOX 5 reporting.