The vast majority of kids swarming downtown during so-called “Teen Takeovers” are just curious and want to have fun, according to Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison.
But for the small group of teens who are coming downtown for “nefarious” intentions — “to cause harm, to start fights, to be destructive” — that won’t be tolerated, Bettison said on May 20, 2026, during his bi-weekly “Walk A Mile Wednesday” with the community. That week, it was Detroit’s 11th Precinct.
“They will be detained and they’ll go to the criminal justice system,” he said. “The Detroit Police Department is not going to let anyone take over the city of Detroit.”
Just last weekend, on May 17, 2026, two groups of teens fighting resulted in a 14-year-old shot in the chest, narrowly missing his heart. The eighth-grader is recovering from surgery after a damaged portion of his lung had to be removed. His family calls him a “miracle.”
Bettison said that ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend, Detroiters should expect a heavy police presence downtown. The chief added that he’ll have his top command officers working as well. Officers downtown will have a strong focus on curfew enforcement and shutting down disorderly conduct.
Detroit’s curfew is 10 p.m. for youths 15 and under and 11 p.m. for ages 16 to 17.
Parents or guardians are violating parental responsibility laws if their child is found to be out past curfew and will be fined, according to the city— $250 for the first offense and $500 for a repeat offense.
“It’s dangerous for large groups of teens to be in a place without supervision, so we’re going to strictly enforce our curfew laws. But more importantly, we’re going to enforce disorderly conduct as well,” Bettison said.
“Kids are welcome, but at the same time, you have to be orderly and well behaved,” he added.
“So our officers are ready, and parents should not allow their children to come downtown unsupervised. That’s not responsible.”
Preventing youth violence prompted heavy debate last summer after a nine-day stretch of gun violence left at least 13 Detroit youths injured or dead.
The city’s response last year was to hammer down on curfew violations and parental responsibility laws. This year, the city announced its “Occupy the Summer” initiative and a six-point plan to help prevent youth violence during the summer months, when the city typically sees more bloodshed, and establish safe spaces for them to gather.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has said that teens gathering downtown is not the problem — but those who come downtown to cause “chaos and disruptive” will be held accountable.
“We have zero tolerance for disruptive and criminal behavior,” she said after 14-year-old Tavuan Clark was shot on May 17.
The city’s Occupy the Summer 10-week initiative will extend hours at nine recreation centers, host neighborhood activities every Friday, and bring back the popular Midnight Basketball program. It kicks off June 12 at the Adams Butzel Complex, 10500 Lyndon St., in northwest Detroit.
Several community partners, including community violence intervention groups, will also provide programming and opportunities, which can be found online at www.OccupyTheSummer.com or their Instagram page at instagram.com/occupythesummer.
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at asahouri@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit police to step up enforcement downtown for Memorial Day weekend
Reporting by Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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