Cities across the country are trying to figure out how to respond to what have been dubbed ‘teen takeovers’, large groups of teenagers and young adults who follow social media cues to gather quickly in public spaces like commercial districts, malls, parks or beaches.
Approaches vary
In Raleigh, North Carolina, local officials are weighing an emergency youth curfew. In St. Augustine Beach, Florida, police say real-time social media monitoring helped them stop a planned youth gathering before it began. In Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has threatened to criminally charge parents whose children repeatedly participate in disorderly crowds.
Research has generally shown that youth curfews are ineffective in curbing violent crime, and they can lead to unnecessary interactions between police and young people who are not otherwise committing any crimes. Some cities are trying technology-based approaches, such as using drones with thermal imaging to monitor beach crowds and intervene before they grow.
Many jurisdictions are also trying to prevent the gatherings with alternative programming alongside, or instead of, law enforcement responses. For example, Tampa has paired enforcement with midnight basketball and other summer programs.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
