'Teen Takeover' In Douglasville Planned For Local Park

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Police are sending a warning after they say a planned takeover Saturday at Jessie Davis Park is being promoted online.

Though Douglasville Police said ages were not specified on promotional materials, they encouraged parents to be proactive with their children.

This comes as "teen takeovers" have been organized in McDonough, Atlanta's Cumberland area, the Gwinnett County section of Stone Mountain, South Fulton, the City of Atlanta and other parts of metro Atlanta.

The takeovers have even reached outside of Georgia, including in Chicago, and parts of Florida, and have led to established curfews for unsupervised teenagers.

It has not been revealed what initially prompted the takeovers, but teenagers and adults have been getting arrested at these mass events. The gatherings are being promoted on social media platforms.

In Douglasville, police threatened more arrests will be made if the law is violated.

"We are investigating who is sending these messages and pushing these events. For any violation of law, arrests will be made. We are aware of this unauthorized event and want everyone to understand the consequences of possible charges. Our officer's presence will be known, and we will be out in force and monitoring the surrounding areas," police said in a Facebook post published Tuesday.

Local authorities have identified places where teenagers can alternatively have fun without a takeover in Georgia. This includes Atlanta's Year of the Youth programming, South Fulton's Youth Athletic Associations and after-school programs and the Douglas County Youth Commission program.

The Georgia Department of Labor also offers job shadowing.

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