DC police announce ‘special juvenile curfew zones’ in the wake of Navy Yard chaos

DC mayor has initiated a limited juvenile curfew after Halloween chaos at Navy Yard led to five arrests.

WASHINGTON — Shortly after being empowered by Mayor Muriel Bowser to implement special curfew guidelines, DC police announced four “zones” that will be subject to the new rules.

The announcement comes after a chaotic incident in Navy Yard that led to five arrests.

In a statement via Twitter, Mayor Muriel Bowser cited “several weeks of disorderly juvenile behavior which endangered both themselves and others.”

We are declaring a limited juvenile curfew in Washington, DC.

Effective immediately, all juveniles under the age of 18 are subject to a curfew from 11PM until 6AM, which will extend through 11/5.

This is in response to several weeks of disorderly juvenile behavior which…

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) November 1, 2025

The curfew begins today – Nov. 1 – citywide from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. It will persist through Nov. 5.

The zones that police have designated for special curfew rules include:

U Street corridor
Banneker Recreation Center
Navy Yard
Union Station

In those zones, the curfew for young people under the age of 18 begins at 6 p.m. The curfew in those zones will go into effect once proper signage has been put in place.

In a statement via Twitter, Mayor Muriel Bowser cited “several weeks of disorderly juvenile behavior which endangered both themselves and others” before the Navy Yard incident that prompted the measure.

In addition to empowering specially designated zones, police can declare a “temporary curfew zone” if they discover that a large group of teens – eight or more – is planning to gather there and safety is at stake.

For the past year, Navy Yard has been a magnet for large groups of teenagers, and for general disorder.

During the Navy Yard incident, National Guard troops responded, alongside DC police, Capitol police, and Metro Transit police to a park area in between First Street and New Jersey Avenue, Southeast, next to to an entrance to the Navy Yard Metro Station.

The mayor’s office says the young people in Navy Yard were “brawling, blocking streets, and moving into commercial establishments in large groups, endangering both themselves, and others in the area.”

According to DC police, officers from other departments also made arrests during the fracas.

On Friday, the DC council members heard arguments on why they need to extend a stronger juvenile curfew.