BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — A growing trend of so-called “teen takeovers” is raising concerns among city leaders, law enforcement, and residents across the Twin Cities metro, as similar incidents continue to unfold nationwide.
The gatherings, often organized through social media, have led to large crowds of teenagers assembling in public parks, sometimes resulting in fights, disturbances, and police intervention. In Chicago earlier this week, authorities arrested 53 people following one such event that turned chaotic.
Closer to home, Crystal Mayor Julie Deshler says her community experienced the impact firsthand after three consecutive nights of teen takeovers at Becker Park in March. Crystal PD says then, large groups of 75 to 150 unsupervised teens gathered at the park, engaging in fights, using Orbeez gel guns and pepper spray. This prompted increased monitoring and a more proactive response from Crystal PD.
“They’re monitoring a lot of the different social media sites that teenagers or younger people tend to use,” Deshler said, noting that the city worked to prevent a similar incident over Memorial Day weekend. Crystal police issued a warning on social media after receiving information about a planned gathering Memorial Day weekend, signaling that officers would be present and a takeover would not be tolerated.
The takeover instead moved to Firehouse Park in Brooklyn Center, where police reported around 50 teens caused disturbances on Sunday, forcing the park to close. The situation escalated the following day, with more than 100 kids involved in fights, fireworks, and ongoing disruptions.
Students say word about a takeover spread really easily through social media. Zoe Solis, a Brooklyn Center Middle School student, described the takeovers as a frequent topic of conversation among her peers. She also shared a social media post promoting the relocation of the gathering from Becker Park to Firehouse Park.
“I don’t attend these events, but from what I heard, people attend these events and stay there for a while, and maybe just stir up things to cause a fight to happen,” Solis said.
“In the end, it’s the parents’ responsibility to make sure they know where their kids are,” Mayor Deshler said.
At this time, Brooklyn Center PD did not get back to KARE 11 regarding an interview on how they will try to prevent these takeovers going forward.
