DETROIT, MI – It often starts with a colorful flyer on social media, with messages like “no guns,” “f— that curfew” and “your park, your voice, your takeover.” One post can quickly spread to hundreds — even thousands — of young people, fueling “teen takeovers” that have become a defining trend of the summer.
The gatherings are typically organized on social media and occasionally have ended in fights, vandalism and shootings in downtown Detroit. Other times, they simply draw large groups of young people to public spaces downtown.
“Teen takeovers,” as social media has dubbed them, have surged in cities across the country. In St. Louis, police detained more than 100 teens, while arrests were also made during a gathering in Dearborn. Similar scenes have been reported in Chicago, New York City, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa and Washington, D.C.
In Detroit, there have been several gatherings that concerned city police and officials. On April 11, large crowds of teens flooded the area hours after city leaders met with youth organizers to promote safer alternatives. There was an attempted robbery, reported gunshots and several teenagers were detained. In May, a 14-year-old boy was shot by a 16-and-17-year old during a gathering. Detroit police said 60 teens were detained during that weekend…