Cities around the U.S. are preparing for a possible surge of social media-driven “teen takeovers” over the Fourth of July weekend, with law enforcement agencies in multiple states moving early to prevent disorder before it unfolds.
The gatherings, often promoted or coordinated online, have surfaced in communities nationwide and are now raising concerns that they could disrupt Independence Day celebrations. With the long holiday weekend nearing, police departments are stepping up plans aimed at heading off large, unruly crowds before they escalate.
In Falmouth, Massachusetts, officials said police have boosted staffing levels and are deploying drones to monitor beaches, identify potential teen takeovers and break up large groups before they become unsafe, Masslive.com reported.
The Tybee Island Police Department and Georgia State Police reported a combined 22 arrests and 22 traffic citations during one spring weekend. (Richard Burkhart/ Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Lt. Ryan Hergt told the outlet that the department has put new measures in place after facing difficulties in previous years controlling large gatherings, including some involving teenagers.
In Ocean City, Maryland, police said they disrupted a planned teen takeover in June that had been promoted on social media as a “Late Night Beach Party Link Up.” Authorities learned of the event through the Baltimore Police Department and arrested several alleged organizers before the gathering could take place, according to WTOP.
Other communities are adopting stricter precautions. In Greenville, North Carolina, the mayor imposed a curfew ahead of the holiday weekend after officials received threats of a possible teen takeover, The Reflector reported.
A large, unpermitted crowd on Tybee Island descended into panic after police said shots were fired near the pier. (Tybee Island Police Department)
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“Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly has established another temporary curfew for juveniles under the age of 18 in downtown Greenville to help ensure their safety,” a statement from the city reads.
The city dealt with a teen takeover on June 20 in which a large number of fights broke out in the downtown area, with social media posts threatening another similar event on June 27. As a result, a curfew was declared last weekend as well.
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 News Agency that law enforcement doesn’t need to wait for chaos to unfold.
Cities across the country prepare for a rise in “teen takeovers” as summer approaches. (Elissa De Souza via Storyful)
“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.
She said teen takeovers are such a priority for police because of the potential for them to turn violent, fast.
“People can be trampled,” McLean said.
“What makes them so dangerous is fights can break out and somebody, some innocent bystander can get pushed down or hurt, or they can fall and hit their head and then die from a bad head wound,” she added.
