# How ought communities react to youth "takeovers"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2025, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748 "2025-07-11T19:17:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/61 "2025-07-13T01:06:50Z")
There are parties and there are _parties_. Some could be fun. Maybe a bit risky. Some are illegal. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/62 "2025-07-13T07:18:23Z")
I have it on good authority [based on this documentary](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4aeETEoNfOg#) that partying kids were doing crimes as long ago as 1979. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/63 "2025-07-13T07:58:16Z")
I have heard that even before that, young people used to go to _underground clubs_ where they _imbibed liquor_ and listened to _jazz music_. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/64 "2025-07-13T14:52:22Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > I have heard that even before that, young people used to go to _underground clubs_ where they _imbibed liquor_ and listened to _jazz music_. The unique issue for the day isn’t that people are partying and imbibing. It’s the speed and and size of the disturbances which are fueled by rapidly shared social media posts. I was working at the local fireworks on July 4th and heard the local police dealing with a pop up party happening at the same time. On a quiet side street not meant for heavy traffic close to 1,000 people showed up to a party advertised with a DJ and a pool. The organizers didn’t expect that response but once it got spread on social media it was out of their hands. This was on a piece of property that was maybe an 1/8 of an acre. All the surrounding streets were blocked. Various calls of disorderly and illegal activities happening on neighboring properties came in. Eventually it was shut down but it took police from multiple towns to come in and help. It didn’t make the news because it was handled with relatively few problems. This is happening a lot and all over. Only when it goes really bad does it make the news. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/65 "2025-07-13T15:19:17Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > That wasn’t me. That’s what camera’s are for. Now you’re lying to a police officer. Arrest them for trespassing and theft of services. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/66 "2025-07-13T18:26:05Z")
I’m in Denmark right now. And at lunch, people were complaining about parties with tons of kids who were noisy and defecated in inappropriate places. “The trees grew very well after that, but it wasn’t nice being there”. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/67 "2025-07-13T21:51:43Z")
Are there guidelines for organizers? If you want people to come to your underground rave (or even completely legal party), you need to advertise it. How do you keep 10x as many people as you have capacity for from showing up? Presumably you have access control and not just letting them all in, but now the crowds are there and this is a less than ideal situation. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/68 "2025-07-13T22:17:02Z")
There was an incident in the eastern Bay Area yesterday. [Teen gathering at Brentwood mall ends in violence, arrests](https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/teen-gathering-brentwood-mall-arrests/3912823/) From the article: _Brentwood Police say that hundreds of teens gathered at local shopping centers on Friday, leading to multiple fights that ultimately left many businesses locking their doors and closing early. Officers arrested five teens._ ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/69 "2025-07-13T22:21:29Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Are there guidelines for organizers? If you want people to come to your underground rave (or even completely legal party), you need to advertise it. How do you keep 10x as many people as you have capacity for from showing up? Presumably you have access control and not just letting them all in, but now the crowds are there and this is a less than ideal situation. This presumes a _whole_ lot more thought and organization on the part of the people “planning” these things than likely actually occurs. They are likely _not_ professional event planners/organizers, they’re likely just young people with social media accounts and ideas, and they almost undoubtedly are not distributing tickets or anything like that. They undoubtedly don’t give any thought to things like, “what if we expect 100 people, and 1000 show up?” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/70 "2025-07-13T22:30:18Z")
I was 15 years old in 1979, and I sure am glad there was no such thing as livestreaming back then. (That’s also the only Pumpkins song I’ve ever liked.) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/71 "2025-07-13T22:32:07Z")
I remember when one of my college roommates went to a local bar to see a band, and the fire marshall showed up. Not sure how they found out this place was over capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/72 "2025-07-13T23:09:01Z")
This made me think about how a lot of the towns at the Jersey shore have been cracking down on teens because of drinking and behaviors. I know some towns are enforcing curfews and kids under 17 will be taken in and parents will need to pick them up at the police station. Some are also imposing possible fines on the parents and charges against the kids. I have no idea how that’s working out, I haven’t been to the shore recently, but it made me think of what Beck was saying in an earlier post, it starts with the parents and if they aren’t going to do it, there’s a damn good chance the police will. I agree 100% with Beck. This topic also got me thinking about an incident, I’m going to say a year or two ago. Sorry I’m so vague, but it wasn’t near here (lost that detail, too) about a bunch of teens found out a family in a very well to do area was going to be away. I don’t think these kids were even from the area. Anyway, they broke in and threw a wild party. The damages were horrendous. I believe some of them were arrested. Does that ring any bells for anyone? Like I said, I don’t recall the specifics to even try and give it a decent search. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/73 "2025-07-14T00:33:39Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > (I think mostly young, often of color) > [@Dinsdale](#): > > . To get it out of the way - the town is mostly white, the teens taking it over mostly Black. …so my suggestion to you would be that there is more going on here than meets the eye. > [@wttw](#): > > “We had places, safe places for teens like teen clubs, also known as juice bars, that no longer exist,” said Corli Jay, community investment reporter at The TRiiBE, which has been [reporting on the snap curfew](https://southsideweekly.com/the-curfew-conundrum/) in collaboration with South Side Weekly. “Also, we had malls that kids were able to go to as teenagers, but those have long gone out because of online shopping, but also because of the youth escort policies. You can’t go to malls at the weekends, at the hours after like, 5 o’clock, without a parent or an escort with you. I also know that Navy Pier has the same kind of escort policy. So these places, these teen safe places, have dwindled. And with the lack of their people, the teens lack a place to kind of meet up and that’s why they choose places like downtown.” [https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/18/chicago-s-snap-curfew-and-how-approved-ordinance-could-affect-teens](https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/18/chicago-s-snap-curfew-and-how-approved-ordinance-could-affect-teens) So I’ve just discovered “youth escort policies.” That in some places young people can’t even go to the mall without an adult escort. Is it any wonder when you close down the places that youths used to go, have curfews, and disproportionately target Black and people of colour for harassment and arrest, that they might look to “safety in numbers?” Because: > [@Dinsdale](#): > > The local cops certainly did not have the capacity to arrest and process a couple hundred individuals. This is probably part of the point. “Black people taking over the pool at a mostly white town” suggests maybe that Black youths have problems accessing that pool. Something that in America, obviously has no historical precedent. /s From Wikipedia: > [@wiki](#): > > Currently, the United States is undergoing a “pool shortage” – and neighborhoods of color are suffering at the forefront of this deficiency. In June 2023, Algonquin, West Louisville’s only public pool, was shut down for repairs due to decades of neglected maintenance – leaving the city of over 60,000 residents without convenient access to any pool.[[9]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_in_swimming#cite_note-9) Characterized as a predominantly black community, West Louisville especially suffers from further disparities in swimming ability and water safety. Across the United States, black and brown cities face this same story of disinvestment in public amenities and infrastructural neglect, exacerbating pre-existing disparities. > **[Diversity in swimming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_in_swimming)** > > The racial composition of swimming and other aquatic sports has long been influenced by the history of segregation and violence at pools as well as the building patterns of public and private pools in America. The exclusion of people of color from public pools during the 20th century not only denied them a space for recreation and exercise but also perpetuated disparities that persist to this day. African Americans, in particular, continue to be underrepresented in swimming and aquatic sports, Wh... Its hard to know the specifics of what happened in the case of the OP because they didn’t provide a cite. But this isn’t a thing you can look at in isolation. You can’t just treat the symptoms without addressing the cause. The last thing communities need to do is be “outraged”. A “few more citations” aren’t going to change a thing. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that can happen in a society where a militarised police force is seen as normal, where ICE are literally disappearing people off the streets. The response to “youth takeovers” will be to _crack down_ on youth takeovers, which will only result in young people of colour doing something _else_ that will get the community outraged. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/74 "2025-07-14T14:46:48Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > That’s what camera’s are for. Now you’re lying to a police officer. We don’t hold the natural and understandable fibs of children to the same standard as adults. We don’t expect our police to watch possible videos of possible gatecrashing, all while, what, holding scores in custody. (Nor do we install many cameras at public pools to begin with). Besides, I was an invited guest at the pool for Tabitha’s party. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/75 "2025-07-14T15:26:18Z")
Your argument seems to be “They can’t do anything because the perpetrators will just say ‘It wasn’t me’” That’s _every_ crime. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/76 "2025-07-14T15:51:01Z")
It’s not a question of are there pools in black communities but why aren’t there enough life guards hired to keep the pools open. “The most public pools in Chicago are located in Black wards. A **Crusader** analysis of Park District data reveals a total of 45 indoor and outdoor pools in Black wards on the South and West sides.” > **[Questions remain whether 28 pools in Black wards will close again this summer](https://chicagocrusader.com/questions-remain-whether-28-pools-in-black-wards-will-close-again-this-summer/)** > > The birds are chirping, flowers are blooming and Memorial Day weekend is in three weeks. The unofficial start of summer kicks off this month with picnics, ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/77 "2025-07-14T16:04:32Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > That’s _every_ crime. Again, there’s no crime to investigate, no suspects to question, no victim statements to take. This isn’t MY opinion, take it from the police. They handled the firework as needed and sent everyone else home. > I heard there was a graduation party at the pool and me & Stacy went. We saw a bunch of kids from school and went in. Parties happen. Daddy, chill. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SUsqAUsvxIM/maxresdefault.jpg "the origin of daddy chill.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUsqAUsvxIM) ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/78 "2025-07-14T16:09:21Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > a couple of hundred teens met at the pool, entered without paying, opened other gates to allow others in, and then hung out. There are reports of drinking, pot, and fireworks, but no real violence. This sounds annoying. I’m reminded of when I asked my doctor about a particular treatment, and he said that he’s not generally in favor of recommending a treatment that can destroy your liver just to correct a minor annoyance. So too with this sort of annoyance, as long as they’re just being annoying, just entering where they haven’t paid, and “taking over” space where others would like to be, the response should be similarly mild. The police will be called, they will show up with some measure of force, and will rightfully ask the teens to disperse. The teens then need to disperse when asked, you had your fun, it’s time to go, and the world goes back to how it was before. Caught with an illegal substance, item or drinking underage… nobody made you bring that stuff, you may be in trouble and that’s OK. If we’re talking about road racing, threatening others, property damage, now we’re into a different category of issue, one that endangers lives, safety, and property all on its own. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/79 "2025-07-14T16:10:35Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > This topic also got me thinking about an incident, I’m going to say a year or two ago. Sorry I’m so vague, but it wasn’t near here (lost that detail, too) about a bunch of teens found out a family in a very well to do area was going to be away. I don’t think these kids were even from the area. Anyway, they broke in and threw a wild party. The damages were horrendous. I believe some of them were arrested. Does that ring any bells for anyone? Like I said, I don’t recall the specifics to even try and give it a decent search. Yes I remember. I think we had a thread on the SDMB about it. I can’t find it though. I tried using Google and AI to find out some info about such a party and came up with tons of hits for people renting out AirBnBs and throwing parties that got out of hand. I think the one you’re thinking of had some sort of controversy attached or a court case, so it warranted further discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/80 "2025-07-14T19:38:08Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > We don’t hold the natural and understandable fibs of children to the same standard as adults. 🙄 Theft of services is not a fib. It’s against the law. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748.md?page=5)