Teen takeover or just hanging out? Bradenton police respond to 300 teens at Riverwalk

BRADENTON, Fla. — Not every crowd of teenagers is a problem, but where do we draw the line? At what point does a hangout become a teen takeover?

That's the question we asked after 300 teens gathered at the Bradenton Riverwalk Saturday night, prompting a police response that has the community talking about safety, supervision, and where teens should—and shouldn't—congregate.

The Facts About Saturday Night

Bodycam video shows Bradenton police officers responding to the large gathering, telling teens "let's go guys, start to wrap it up, parks closed, start ordering rides."

Bradenton police got word of the event ahead of time and were standing by and ready.

"Before we knew it, we were getting inundated with just tons of teens," said Bradenton Chief of Police Josh Cramer. "People in the park who were not part of that whatsoever quickly were like, what's going on and didn't feel safe."

Here are the facts: Police say the teen takeover had no arrests, no crimes were committed, and no citations were given.

But that doesn't mean there weren't safety concerns.

Safety Concerns Emerge

Video shows officers sending everyone home. As they do, teens start crossing the road through Saturday night traffic downtown.

"We then heard people saying, hey, let's go over to Wawa or let's go to Racetrack and next thing you know, people on foot, people in cars are starting to overwhelm those businesses," Chief Cramer said.

Cindy Dollarhide, a grandmother who was visiting the Riverwalk, has multiple teenage grandchildren—14 of them are currently staying at her house for about 10 days.

She says they've been talking about teen takeovers long before Saturday.

"They're happening all too frequently all across the country, several here in Florida recently. I think it's horrible," Dollarhide said. "If I can't get through safely with my family, then pretty soon people won't want to come at all, and it ruins it for everybody, the actions of a few."

The Problem is Real, Chief Says

Chief Cramer says even without arrests, the problem is real.

"The whole reason we're having this conversation is because of the bad apples that spoiled the batch," he said.

Across the Tampa Bay area—and even the country—we've seen violence and crimes committed at these events.

WFTS

So What Makes This a Takeover?

So what makes this a takeover and not just teens hanging out?

Richard Kolko, a safety and security analyst, says it comes down to behavior.

"Teens hanging out is one thing," Kolko said. "But there's been some of these teen takeovers where they're blocking streets or causing vandalism. There might be drugs, fighting, underage drinking."

Curfew Laws in Effect

The Bradenton Police Department says children under 16 in both incorporated and unincorporated Manatee County have a curfew.

If out past curfew without an adult, you could be fined.

RELATED: Manatee County Commissioners approve a curfew for teens under the age of 16