On weekend nights in D.C., the Multiagency Nightlife Task Force fans out across U Street, H Street and Connecticut Avenue, zeroing in on overcrowding, fights and other hot spots before they boil over. A recent ridealong showed teams of officers, traffic-control agents and licensing inspectors moving in lockstep to steer crowds, clear choke points and keep people moving home. City officials say the goal is simple but urgent: stop small scuffles from spiraling into stabbings or homicides.
How the task force works
Launched in 2023 by the deputy mayor for public safety and justice, the task force focuses Friday-Saturday deployments on three of the city’s busiest nightlife corridors. It pulls together ABCA, the Department of Licensing and Consumer…..