Administration

DC parents could face jail over ‘teen takeovers’ under Pirro move

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/15/26 8:09 PM ET

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/15/26 8:09 PM ET

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U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Friday said her office will increase the jail time penalties for Washington, D.C., parents who do not adhere to curfew laws, which she cited as a consequence of “teen takeovers.”

Parents and adults aware of or who allow children “to engage in delinquent acts may face criminal penalties of up to six months of incarceration,” with charges enforced regardless if a child is prosecuted separately.

“Teen takeovers have disrupted neighborhoods, forced businesses to close temporarily, and diverted valuable law enforcement resources from the residents of the District,” Pirro said in a statement from her office. “These incidents have become increasingly common in areas such as Navy Yard and NoMa and are often accompanied by criminal conduct, including assaults, robberies, fights, and other disorderly behavior.”

Pirro’s office cannot prosecute juveniles except if they are tried as adults for certain violent crimes. The D.C. attorney general prosecutes most crimes committed by minors.

Pirro’s office will work with Metropolitan Police Department partners to pursue parental citations when a curfew violation is connected to a “takeover-related incident.” These citations could include mandatory parental notification, court-ordered parenting classes or family counseling as a method to resolve a case.

Washington already has a general 11 p.m. curfew for minors on weeknights, along with a midnight curfew on weekends.

Pirro said that despite the curfew enforced by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), more action is necessary. She accused the D.C. City Council of refusing to “deal with the problem, and their lack of action creates an extremely dangerous situation for the people of the District and the teens themselves.”

“Law-abiding taxpayers should not subsidize chaos caused by parental neglect,” Pirro said. “Parents do your job, or we will do ours.”

The Department of Justice also announced on Friday that it’s seeking to deploy another 1,500 National Guard members to the district’s streets as part of a “summer surge” of visitors ahead of the country’s 250th birthday on the Fourth of July.

“High visibility presence reduces response times to crime, provides support to law enforcement on scene and keeps officers and civilians safe,” U.S. ⁠Marshals Service Director Gadyaces &zwnj;Serralta said at a press conference earlier in the day.

The addition of 1,500 will bump up the number of National Guard members patrolling Washington to 5,000.

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