03/13/2026
"Last night, our officers shut down unsanctioned parties planned for high school–aged students who are out on spring break. “Unsanctioned” means the events did not receive prior approval from the City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks. Large events held in city parks are required to go through a process that includes submitting specific forms and obtaining official approval in advance. Due to a flyer circulating publicly that promoted the gatherings, officers were on site ahead of time and took steps to ensure the events did not occur because they violated city park rules.
The high school–aged juveniles then shifted their unsanctioned gathering to public spaces downtown, such as business parking lots. Starting around 7:30 p.m., officers responded to numerous calls for service in the 600 and 700 blocks of Liberty Street regarding trespassing, fights, disturbances involving loud music, pedestrians impeding traffic, reckless scooter driving, and alcohol consumption. The large gatherings, involving 100 to 200 juveniles, continued until around 1:30 a.m. this morning. Due to the large crowd, we were forced to pull resources from other parts of the city to maintain order and sustain a strong police presence downtown to deter crime.
We are now dealing with the same problem we faced last summer: unsupervised juveniles. I come before you again with a similar message. Our youth are the most precious asset we have in our community. They are our future. It is not fair that parents allow our youth to be exposed to this level of safety hazards in our community. It is not fair that we must dedicate so many police resources to address this problem when we have many other obligations. It is not fair that customers in the downtown area cannot safely navigate sidewalks and streets, and it is not fair that businesses are blocked by large crowds of juveniles.
I reiterate that kids need healthy outlets and opportunities to be kids and spend time with their friends.
With that in mind, I call on all parents and community partners to work with us to provide safe activities that keep our youth engaged and safe this summer. This trend will not stop after spring break. We know it will continue until our community addresses the problem by supervising their children and providing them with alternative activities. I remind you that law enforcement’s only option in these situations is enforcement, including arrest when necessary. The request I am making today is to prevent that outcome.
Rest assured, if this problem continues, we will not hesitate to charge and arrest not only juveniles but also parents who support or enable the criminal actions of their children. We will stand by our word." Chief William H. Penn, Jr.
