Police move to stop ‘teen takeover’ gatherings amid concerns about violence

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. – The national “Teen Takeover” trend is raising concerns. It has police monitoring activities.

Teen takeovers are large, social‑media‑organized gatherings of youths at places such as malls, beaches and parks that have recently led to fights, shootings and other forms of violence.

Most recently, the St. Augustine Beach Police Department moved to proactively discourage an event before it happened.

There have also been “Takeovers” recently at Jacksonville Beach, The Avenues Mall and Blue Cypress in Arlington.

Travis Harrell, the Assistant Chief of Police with St. Augustine Beach PD, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss the challenges for law enforcement and the community. He says public safety is the priority.