Cities across America are preparing for a wave of social media-fueled ‘teen takeovers’ this Fourth of July weekend, with police departments in several states taking preemptive steps to stop the chaos before it starts.

Local Preparations

In Falmouth, Massachusetts, police have increased staffing and are using drones to combat teen takeovers on beaches and stopping large gatherings before they become dangerous.

In Ocean City, Maryland, police stopped a teen takeover that was advertised on social media as a ‘Late Night Beach Party Link Up.’ Police learned about the event through the Baltimore Police Department and arrested several of the alleged organizers before the teen takeover could happen.

Some towns are going even further. In Greenville, North Carolina, the city’s mayor enacted a curfew ahead of the holiday weekend in response to threats of a teen takeover.

Concerns and Precautions

Past teen takeovers have proven the events have potential to become dangerous. In Georgia’s Tybee Island, an ‘unpermitted pop-up event’ in April ended up with gunshots ringing out, which sent scores of teens running for their lives.

Margaret McLean, a former prosecutor, told Fox News Digital that law enforcement doesn’t need to wait for chaos to unfold. ‘It’s a big preventative measure that police are using. They’re monitoring the social media… arresting some people for rioting. If these organizers are worried that they may face criminal charges or they may get a criminal record or possibly even go to jail, they may step back and decide not to organize one of these events,’ McLean said.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.