DC juvenile curfew implemented after Halloween weekend chaos, including brawling, arrests

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser slapped a curfew on anyone under the age of 18 in the city after chaos unfolded over Halloween weekend.  

The curfew, which was enacted over the weekend and extended through Wednesday, applies to juveniles from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. The curfew is in response to a pattern of “several weeks of disorderly juvenile behavior,” including a large group of minors that “engaged in disorderly activity” on Friday. 

“The behavior on Halloween evening – which included young people brawling, blocking streets, and moving into commercial establishments in large groups, endangering both themselves and others in the area – follows several weekends of similar behavior by youth in neighborhoods across the District,” Bowser said in a statement. Five juveniles were arrested on Friday, and one police officer was injured, she added. 

Bowser also authorized the city’s police chief to designate special high-risk zones for juvenile misconduct, allowing the chief to establish an even earlier curfew time at 6 p.m. The police chief is also allowed to “declare a temporary curfew zone upon her finding that a group of at least eight youth is imminently scheduled to gather, or has gathered, and the safety of the youth, residents, or the public is endangered.” 

Chief of Police Pamela Smith called the juvenile behavior over Halloween “unacceptable” and told residents to expect to see an “increased deployment” of police officers. 

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in the nation’s capital and mobilized the National Guard, which is set to stay deployed in the city until at least February 2026, CNN reported. 

In an executive order, Trump noted crime is “out of control” in the city and said the increased violence “urgently endangers” public workers, residents and tourists. 

“The city government’s failure to maintain public order and safety has had a dire impact on the Federal Government’s ability to operate efficiently to address the Nation’s broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence,” the order noted. “We will make the District of Columbia one of the safest cities in the world, not the most dangerous.” 

D.C. police crime data as of Nov. 4 indicates that crime is down in nearly every category since the same time last year, including a 28% drop in homicides, a 39% drop in sex abuse and a 28% dip in burglary.