Youth Affairs Committee Roundtable on Teen Takeovers - April 30, 2026
Youth Affairs Committee Roundtable on Teen Takeovers - April 30, 2026
Councilmember Zachary Parker (Ward 5) chaired a roundtable from 3:29 PM to 9:00 PM in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building and virtually via Zoom. The hearing focused on youth perspectives regarding teen takeovers, recreation, opportunity, and accountability. The chair emphasized prioritizing youth voices and listening to their ideas for safe spaces, out-of-school activities, mental health resources, and employment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Darien Carter (Trigger Project) opposed curfews, called for extended rec hours, year-round jobs, a youth council, and ending police racial profiling. He noted that an 18+ club was at capacity, showing the need for more safe spaces.
- Honesty Hill (Trigger Project) stated that curfews do not address root causes like unstable homes. She advocated for extended rec hours, year-round employment, and a parent council for accountability.
- Magnolia Shongas (Council of Court Excellence) cited research that curfews increase adverse health outcomes for black youth. She highlighted budget concerns: cuts to TANF, CHAMPS, and increases in detention beds. She recommended investment in mental health, housing, and recreation over incarceration.
- Chris Gamble (Children's Law Center) urged restoration of funding for CHAMPS (youth mobile crisis team), school-based behavioral health, and child advocacy centers (Safe Shores). He noted DBH's budget cuts jeopardize youth well-being.
- Penelope Spain (Open City Advocates) warned that curfews violate the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act by processing status offenders with delinquent youth, exacerbating harm.
- Leslie Redman (former DC educator) shared her success due to DC's investment in youth (summer jobs, mentorship). She called for workforce development, entrepreneurial opportunities, and intergenerational connection.
- Carla Portillo (United Leaders for Freedom) opposed curfews and over-policing, advocated for career readiness and safe spaces led by youth.
- Multiple youth and advocates (including Zayana Green, Aliyah Moody, McKenzie Whitfield, Navea Williams, Rain Turain, Corey McSwain, Kingston Johnson, and others) testified against curfews, citing police harassment (paintball guns, pepper spray, handcuffing), lack of safe third spaces, need for later rec hours, year-round jobs at living wage, mental health support, and a youth council.
Discussion Items
- Councilmember Parker opened by framing the hearing as an opportunity to hear from youth about solutions, emphasizing that curfews alone are not the answer.
- Councilmember Robert White criticized the proposed budget: +$90M to MPD, +$6.5M to DYRS, but -$6.8M to DPR. He argued for a prevention-first approach, noting DPR's large events cost ~$148,000 each, and warned that enforcement without stable homes is ineffective.
- Councilmember Trayon White highlighted that over 80 adults were testifying but stressed the importance of youth voices. He noted DC's budget grew from $9B to $22B while youth programs declined, and called for equitable funding.
- Councilmember Christina Henderson joined later and questioned youth about how to handle incidents like fights and the influx of youth from Maryland/Virginia. Youth suggested holding only the instigators accountable and better communication with surrounding counties.
- Councilmember Wendell Felder (Ward 7) joined and asked about the impact of curfews on daily life and trust in adults.
- Youth testimonies repeatedly stressed that takeovers are symptoms of a lack of safe spaces, economic opportunity, and trust in police. They proposed extended DPR hours (e.g., until 10 PM or later), year-round jobs with higher pay, youth-led councils, mental health services in schools, and structured late-night programming.
Key Outcomes
- Chair Parker committed to following up on suggestions: extending rec hours, creating a youth council, and improving DPR programming based on youth input.
- He noted the need to minimize police interactions with youth and leverage trusted community organizations (e.g., Safe Passage, Black Swan Academy, Trigger Project).
- Parker acknowledged the budget challenges and said he would work to align funding with prevention rather than enforcement.
- Testimony will be considered as the committee reviews the mayor's proposed budget and the permanent curfew legislation.
- Parker offered to help a community member (Samaya Lane) navigate DPR to secure approval for youth programming at Diamond Teague Park.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. I am Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker, Chair of the Committee on Youth Affairs. Today is April 30th, 2026. We are meeting in room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building and virtually via Zoom. The time is now 3.29 p.m. And I am calling to order this round table on youth alternatives to teen takeovers, recreation opportunity, and accountability. Just a quick note, I want to apologize about the delay in today's start. We were having some technical difficulties that I am told have been addressed. I want to thank my colleagues who have joined me today. If there are any witnesses whose names are called but have yet to arrive, we will call your names again to provide you another opportunity to testify. Today we are going to go with the flow. And I just want to give some housekeeping notes. Today's hearing is meant to prioritize the voices of our young people. And so with that said, we are going to do everything possible to amplify and prioritize their voices. And so I appreciate your flexibility and grace in advance. Each witness will have three minutes to share your testimony. Today I am pleased to hear testimony from members of the community voicing their perspectives on youth public safety. Washingtonians from across the city will share their perspectives about what we must do to foster youth well-being and prevent destructive behavior and unproductive outlets. In particular, today's roundtable is a vital opportunity to hear from our young people about their perspectives and approach to the teen takeover phenomenon. We look forward to hearing from youth, parents, families, and advocates about effective solutions to preventing these takeovers and providing services for our youth. Teen takeovers are not new and they are not unique to the district. Similar events are taking place all across the country, from Los Angeles to New York to Chicago to Atlanta. These events demonstrate a broad need to address a lack of adequate safe spaces, supervision, and structure for teenagers across the nation. As local governments grapple with the consequences of the unfulfilled gap, it is vital to remember that any durable solution requires the voices of young people. Our youth need and deserve to be heard about the issues that directly affect them, especially in the midst of a public safety crisis created by these takeovers. During today's round table, I am looking to hear from youth across the city about what they would like the district to do and what they would like to see. These include these ideas include uh ideas for the types of third spaces that teens can access and enjoy with their friends, especially in light of the dramatic loss of movie theaters, malls, and public plazas that have closed in the past two weeks, two decades. New approaches to out-of-school activities and recreation, youth believe high schoolers want to engage in, mental health resources to support teen wellness, and opinions on the current state of teen employment and summer opportunities. Most of all, today is a chance to ask our young people what they need to thrive and be safe. For the past year, the majority of the council's conversations on takeovers have focused on the opinions of adults and centered on the merits of designated curfews. While I have been engaged in those conversations, I wanted to provide a different forum, one centered on a broad range of solutions and focus on the voices of our youth. So today is primarily an opportunity to give them the floor and listen to what they think. As chair of the council's committee on youth affairs, I know that we have the duty to both protect and uplift our young people. Today's round table is an opportunity to center their perspective on how we can effectively do that. Before we jump into today's hearing, I want to give an opportunity for my colleagues to provide opening statements or remarks if they have them. I'll first recognize Councilmember Robert White, and then I'll turn to Councilmember Traon White if he is on line virtually. So with that, Councilmember Robert White. Thank you, Chairperson uh Parker. Look, residents deserve to feel safe in every neighborhood, and pretty much everyone agrees with that. And young people deserve to safe spaces to gather and enjoy our city. We cannot enforce our way out of the issue that we're seeing now. The only plan is dispersal. The behavior will shift to a different block or start earlier in the day. The goal is not just fewer gatherings, but is fewer injuries, fewer fights, fewer weapons, fewer robberies, and fewer young people cycling into the justice system. What I'm looking for today is clarity. Clarity about what is actually driving these gatherings and what will change behavior. This roundtable is framed around recreation, opportunity, and accountability, and that is exactly the right frame. But if we mean that seriously, the budget has to reflect it. Right now, the proposed budget for the city moves in the wrong direction.
openpublica.com