Juvenile crime in Washington, D.C., is out of control. To restore order in the nation’s capital, the Department of Justice is right to put the onus on delinquent parents. This might do something to change an unacceptable status quo that, for years, has made the capital a national embarrassment on crime.
Fighting crime and restoring order is a high priority of the Trump administration. In August 2025, Trump declared a “crime emergency” and invoked the 1973 Home Rule Act to activate the D.C. National Guard and take control of the district’s police force.
The Make DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force cut crime sharply. “The results,” U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said in January 2026, “are palpable.” Homicides in the city have dropped by 60% to the lowest level since 1900.
But more work is needed. While overall adult crime has trended downward, some juvenile crime has gotten worse. Juveniles are disproportionately involved in vehicle thefts, robberies, and carjackings, among other offenses. When young offenders are allowed to terrorize neighborhoods with little consequence, it teaches them that the law is optional and teaches everyone else that public order is negotiable.
Perhaps the most visible examples of disorder are “teen takeovers,” in which dozens or even hundreds of teenagers disrupt public places.
These takeovers are often organized on social media and are frequently accompanied by assaults, robberies, fights, and other disorderly behavior. Restaurants, coffee shops, public parks, and neighborhoods are thrown into chaos, often late at night. Law-abiding citizens, businesses, and communities suffer as a result.
The D.C. Council has failed to address the problem. On May 5, the council passed a permanent youth curfew after a previous curfew was allowed to expire in the spring.
But the latest measure was half-hearted. An emergency provision that would have immediately reinstated restrictions was abandoned after it failed to garner enough votes to pass.
In a May 15 press conference, Pirro pointed out that the D.C. Council “refuses to deal with the problem, and their lack of action creates an extremely dangerous situation for the people of the District and the teens themselves.”
Parents will now be charged under statute 22-811 with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The penalties will be stiff, Pirro warned.
“Adults who facilitate, enable, or knowingly permit a minor to engage in delinquent acts may face criminal penalties of up to six months of incarceration,” she announced.
Pirro called it a “clear message” to parents to “supervise your kids or face criminal consequences.”
This is not radical, but merely common sense. Children do not raise themselves, and the government should not let parents shrug off their responsibility when minors break the law, ignore curfews, or participate in organized disorder. Accountability must begin at home.
THE DATA CENTER DOOMERS MUST BE DEFEATED
The new federal initiative underscores two important realities. First, parental responsibility is a key factor in preventing crime. Second, fighting crime usually means enforcing existing laws rather than coming up with novel ideas.
When it comes to crime in Washington, D.C., the results are in: The soft-on-crime approach favored by many on the district’s city council has failed. What works is a commitment to good government and order. D.C. residents and visitors deserve both.