NC mayor issues ‘rant’ over violent teen takeover, tells parents to ‘step up’

Greenville can be added to the list of North Carolina cities plagued by teen takeovers, and its mayor has issued an official “rant” that chides parents and warns juveniles they’ll be charged for showing up downtown between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The blunt notice follows a weekend of disturbances, fights and destructive behavior attributed to large groups of teens that gathered in downtown Greenville, officials said.

“I’m just going to say it: if you have a child under the age of 18 who is planning to attend a teen takeover downtown, I would strongly encourage you to tell them to stay home,” Mayor P.J. Connelly wrote in a June 23 Facebook post.

“I can’t imagine being 15–17 years old and choosing to go downtown late at night, creating situations that strain our police department and disrupt our community. … And before anyone says we simply need more things for kids to do, that is not an excuse for fighting, causing disturbances, or engaging in destructive behavior. There are countless ways to spend time with friends that don’t involve creating problems for others.”

Additional police patrols are being added in downtown to enforce the new curfew. Violations count as a misdemeanor offense, officials said.

The chaos in downtown Greenville grew to such levels over the weekend that “several” businesses closed early, police said.

“Officers responded to several disturbances and fights that occurred on public sidewalks and spent several hours addressing those incidents and ensuring the safety of those involved,” Greenville police said in a Facebook post. “The activity created ongoing public safety concerns throughout the evening.”

No injuries were reported, police said.

Teen takeovers are a social media phenomenon, created when young people designate a gathering place and start showing up en masse. In some cases, the takeovers involve street racing. In others, teens on foot overwhelm businesses, spill into the streets and engage in violent behavior, experts say.

Curfews have also been adopted in other cities to deal with the events, including Charlotte.

On Saturday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested 23 teens during a takeover in uptown, according to a June 22 news release. Thirteen parents were also issued citations for allowing their children to be out, police said.

Greenville says its new curfew will be in place at least through the end of the month.

“We need parents, mentors, coaches, teachers, and family friends to step up and be positive role models who teach our young people right from wrong,” Mayor Connelly wrote in his social media post.

“It’s disappointing that we’ve reached a point where this even has to be said. Our kids need guidance, accountability, and expectations, and it starts at home. Rant over.”

Greenville is about an 85-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 9:44 AM with the headline “NC mayor issues ‘rant’ over violent teen takeover, tells parents to ‘step up’.”