So-called “teen takeovers” happening throughout the country have dominated the news cycle in recent months as groups of adolescents seemingly come out of nowhere en masse to take control of public spaces. The large groups of teens riot, steal, and start fights after plotting online.
The violence has escalated so much that a 17-year-old boy was shot at a beach takeover in Clearwater, Florida last week. Police across the country anticipate similar “teen takeover” attempts as the summer continues.
Teens orchestrate these “takeovers” through social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. According to Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation Zach Smith, these takeovers often turn violent.
“It’s not just a group of teenagers that may be a little too loud or maybe become a little unruly,” Smith told The Federalist. “In many instances, violent crimes are being committed: robberies, theft, assault. These can be very serious events, and officials need to have the tools and the willingness to deal with them appropriately.”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that he will be cracking down on teen takeovers after the shooting on Clearwater Beach. Uthmeier said he instructed state prosecutors to “investigate and prosecute those who are responsible for these events.”
Another Florida town, Wesley Chapel, almost faced a similar teen takeover June 1, but law enforcement intervened and took precautionary measures. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office told The Federalist that they were responding to “social media traffic advertising the event” after receiving several tips. Police responded accordingly, increasing presence in the area where the takeover was supposed to happen. This strategy worked — no violent takeover occurred in Wesley Chapel that night.
According to Smith, teens often face little accountability for violent behavior, and “juveniles understand incentives too.”
“In many cities, every time a team takeover happens, the message has been sent by local elected officials that there won’t be accountability or consequences if teens break the law,” Smith said.
Smith said this issue is particularly prevalent in Washington D.C., which has seen a surge in “teen takeovers” in the Navy Yard neighborhood. A violent brawl at a Navy Yard Chipotle went viral last month, and many other takeovers have occurred in the neighborhood.
“I’ve seen officers respond quickly, but I also think residents want to see more proactive solutions rather than constantly reacting after a takeover is already underway,” a Navy Yard resident told The Federalist.
Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Ramey Kyle told the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) that teen “promoters” use the internet to get the word out.
Kyle told the PERF that teens share flyers — mostly on Instagram — that D.C. police are monitoring. “The promoters have gotten a little savvier. They don’t necessarily drop the location or time until maybe the night before or the day of,” Kyle said.
Officials in New York City sent a letter to the CEOs of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube urging them to address the amplification of teen takeovers. The letter, written by Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, slams these events as “unlawful gatherings” that “can lead to serious harm.”
In response to a February takeover of the Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx on President’s Day, Clark said the event “was possible because of the misuse of social media hashtags” and urged social media companies to monitor their platforms.
Social media may not be “real life,” but it has real life consequences for the communities affected. If teens see their peers spreading information about takeovers online, disrupting the public, and committing violence without any consequences, they have every incentive to join in. Recent history tells teens that actions don’t have consequences, and they’ve certainly acted accordingly.
Leftist agitators have used sites like Reddit to promote violence and dox conservatives. Many of these users never faced consequences. Likewise, Black Lives Matter rioters were seldom brought to justice, and many were even bailed out by leftist organizations. It’s no wonder teens growing up in this world feel emboldened to take over their cities.
In places like Atlanta and Tampa, teens have been arrested or even charged for participating in violent gatherings. However, some groups have gone even farther. Florida authorities are moving to prosecute parents of children involved in teen takeovers. Officials in Washington, D.C. are doing the same. Other localities should adopt this common-sense policy and hold parents responsible for not monitoring their children’s behavior.
However, not all localities take teen takeovers seriously. Although some D.C. officials are attempting to prosecute parents, several members of the D.C. City Council let a measure instituting a curfew for minors run out. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was “greatly disappointed” in the council for not reinstating the curfew.
After a non-fatal shooting at a teen takeover in Detroit this May, Mayor Mary Sheffield thought late-night basketball leagues, recreational spaces for young people, and mental health services would help solve the problem. Although Sheffield said she is interested in accountability for these young people and their parents, no recreational center can solve a problem that began online.
If police and city and state leaders do not follow through to swiftly punish all involved, this atmosphere of lawlessness enabled by blue state politicians and children’s unfettered access to social media will only continue.
Skye Graham is an intern at The Federalist. She is a senior History major at Hillsdale College and serves as the assistant features editor for the Hillsdale Collegian.
