ATLANTA — Concern over teen takeovers has police warning children across the metro Atlanta area not to do it.
The Atlanta Police Department held a Thursday briefing after a new threat of teen takeovers for this weekend started making the rounds.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes was at the briefing, where police said they are aware of plans for more teen takeovers, but they’re ready, and they’re not alone.
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“We are all standing together,” APD Deputy Chief Jason Smith said. “All public safety agencies in the metro area, we’re together on this. These takeovers need to stop.”
Smith said the teen takeovers started in December 2025, when teenagers “started taking over streets” and damaging or destroying property, fighting, gunfire, chaos and traffic being disrupted.
Channel 2 Action News covered the incidents that have unfurled over the last few months across the metro area, from Cobb County to Downtown Atlanta and beyond.
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In Atlanta, the most recent teen takeover happened on the Beltline.
Smith said more than a dozen people ages 13 to 20 were arrested and 11 guns were recovered, including a Glock switch.
“That means it made a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun,” Smith said. “Very, very dangerous.”
Atlanta has a Sunday to Thursday curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from midnight to 6 a.m.
“We are ready, we are here, these takeovers are not going to happen, all of us are prepared and ready to interact with any folks who show up for these takeovers,” Smith said.
Ronald Applin, the police chief for Atlanta Public Schools said the teen takeovers aren’t the only problem involving youths in the Atlanta area. He’s also concerned about truancy, skipping school, and how that impacts teens’ futures.
“This is not the time for you to ruin your future by doing something that just doesn’t make sense at all,” Applin said at the briefing. “Many of you are at an age where, if you do one thing one night, it can ruin a lot of things for you.”
Applin told parents they need to watch their kids, understand what they’re doing and not to let them lose potential futures “by doing something that doesn’t make sense at all.”
Following an earlier briefing about the Fulton County Jail’s newest strategy to combat contraband and security issues, Sheriff Pat Labat was at the briefing to stand by his fellow law enforcement leaders.
“The regional law enforcement community stands as one and the foolishness will not be tolerated,” Labat said. “Watch your children so we don’t have to.”
Deputy Assistant Solicitor General Seth Brown said the solicitor’s office was ready to increase charges and penalties for anyone arrested during teen takeovers.
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