What started as more than 200 teenagers crowding into Romare Bearden Park in Uptown Charlotte on Saturday night ended with 24 arrests, 13 parents cited and parts of the park temporarily shut down, according to police. Officers poured extra resources into the area to break up the unsanctioned "teen takeover," ultimately seizing one firearm and boosting patrols across Center City as most of those arrested turned out to be juveniles.
WBTV reports that 24 people were taken into custody, 23 of them juveniles, and that 13 parents were cited on accusations of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Police described the scene as a large-scale gathering of teens that required a significant response to keep things under control.
In a separate statement, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the enforcement push produced arrests and citations for a range of violations and confirmed that one firearm was recovered during the operation. "The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has a zero-tolerance for criminal activity, including violations of the Youth Protection Ordinance," Chief Estella D. Patterson said in the release.
Charges and arrests
Officers logged a grab bag of charges during the incident, including open-container violations, carrying a concealed weapon, trespass, affray, resist, obstruct or delay, reckless driving, disorderly conduct and curfew violations, according to WBTV. The station also noted that 13 parents were written up for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
CMPD said specialized units, including the Entertainment District Unit and the JADE team, were brought in to help disperse the crowd and clear the park. Portions of Romare Bearden Park and surrounding streets were temporarily restricted while officers moved teenagers out of the area.
Why police were on alert
Officers were already on edge in Uptown after a separate shooting earlier in June near the same park. Responding to reports of gunfire near Romare Bearden Park in mid-June, police found two people with gunshot wounds, according to The Charlotte Observer.
City leaders and police have increasingly pointed to the Youth Protection Ordinance and stepped-up curfew enforcement as tools to head off large, unsanctioned gatherings of minors during the summer, when teen crowds tend to swell in Uptown.
What's next
CMPD said the arrests over the weekend were part of its coordinated Queen City Safe and Center City high-visibility enforcement efforts, which will continue throughout the summer, per the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Investigators are asking anyone with video or other evidence to pass it along to police.
Officials also reiterated that parents can be cited under the Youth Protection Ordinance if their kids are caught violating curfew or related rules. Partner agencies, including Alcohol Law Enforcement and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, assisted CMPD with the weekend operation and are expected to remain in the mix as summer enforcement continues.
