The top federal prosecutor in the nation’s capital announced on Friday her office is planning to target parents if their teenagers violate the local curfew, in a move aimed at curbing the growing problem of “teen takeovers.”
“Law-abiding taxpayers should no longer have to pay for parental neglect,” D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference on Friday. The presser was planned in order to update the media about the results of President Trump’s law enforcement surge that launched last summer to reduce violent crime in the city.
“Parents: Do your job. Or we will do ours,” she said.
Teen takeovers have become a frequent nuisance in Washington, D.C., particularly in popular parts of the city like the Navy Yard waterfront. At times, these flash mob-style gatherings involving large groups of teens have escalated, prompting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to impose a series of juvenile curfews in the Navy Yard area of 11 p.m. for those under the age of 18.
Pirro said her office intends to enforce local statute 22-811 against parents — contributing to the delinquency of a minor — in an effort to combat the problem. Her office is restricted from prosecuting the teens themselves for curfew violations, which are handled by the local attorney general’s office.
“That does not preclude me from bringing charges against the parents,” Pirro told reporters.
