Six people have been arrested after “multiple large groups of juveniles” descended on The Wharf in Southwest D.C. on Friday night, police said.
Five teens were arrested for disorderly conduct and another was arrested for assaulting a police officer, according to D.C. police.
No serious injuries were reported from the group of teens or the involved officer.
“We want people to come and enjoy the experiences here in the District of Columbia, especially here at The Wharf, but we’re not going to tolerate any violent behavior here in our city,” D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith told WTOP’s Alan Etter.
Her message to parents: “Please know where your children are. It’s unacceptable for them to come to an area and be disruptive. We want our children to be able to enjoy the experience of being young children, but coming to The Wharf and being disruptive is unacceptable and we will hold them accountable.”
In a post on X around 7:50 p.m., D.C. Police said there was a large crowd and that the 700 block of Maine Avenue SW was temporarily blocked to motorists.
D.C.’s Wharf does not have a curfew unlike National Harbor in Maryland, which implemented a spring curfew last year for unaccompanied teens 16 or younger on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m.
This year, that same curfew was raised to anyone 18 or younger from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Last year, D.C. announced enforcement of its youth curfew for those under 17, which in July and August run from midnight to 6 a.m. every day. From September through June, the curfew runs from 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, and midnight to 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
D.C. police would detain violators and then transfer them to the city’s Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services, before reaching out the child’s parent(s)/guardians to pick them up.
WTOP’s Alan Etter reported from the scene.
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