JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sheriff T.K. Waters shared a stern warning to teens in Jacksonville after the sheriff’s office worked to disperse a group of hundreds of juveniles at a “planned takeover” event along Southbank.
He addressed the topic at the District 3 town hall meeting on Tuesday.
“I’m not trying to tell people how to parent, but if your kids are out beyond curfew, they may find themselves in trouble,” Waters said.
His message comes after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers safely broke up the Saturday night gathering after witnessing some of the teens engaging in “problematic behavior” like drug use, fighting and pepper-spraying each other.
“Make sure you’re at home if you’re underage before curfew because we are going to start arresting them,” Waters said.
Waters said he wouldn’t disclose everything that JSO is doing to curtail the massive events that have hit areas like the beaches and the Orange Park Mall in recent months. But, he said the agency was aware and monitoring these “takeover” events.
“We run into the problem where people try to justify it’s just young people wanting to have fun,” Waters said. “Young people are responsible. Also, just like the rest of us, we need to make sure we’re watching and paying attention to what’s going on.”
Large gatherings require permits, and anyone under the age of 18 can not be out past curfew, which is 11 p.m. on weeknights or after midnight on weekends unless accompanied by an adult.
