Washington D.C. Mayor Urges Council to Restore Juvenile Curfew

C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called on the Council of the District of Columbia to pass emergency legislation restoring an extended juvenile curfew. The request follows a fight among teenagers inside a Navy Yard Chipotle restaurant on May 18, 2026. Video showed juveniles using chairs as weapons during the incident.

Violent confrontations among juveniles have occurred multiple times in recent months. In early April, police arrested eight teenagers after responding to a fight in the Navy Yard district. Police officers were assaulted in some of those incidents.

Bowser posted on X that the absence of the curfew is having a negative impact on public safety. She said the council should act without further delay. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said parents could face fines of $500, court-ordered classes, or jail time if they fail to supervise teenagers involved in the incidents.

Pirro said charges would be filed under the city's contributing to the delinquency of a minor statute. Councilmember Brooke Pinto has proposed legislation titled the Juvenile Curfew Sunset Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 to reinstate the curfew on an emergency basis.