Virginia Beach Considers Earlier Teen Curfew for Spring Beach Parties

Police Chief seeks more authority to control unruly crowds after past incidents of chaos and stampedes.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Online posts promoting unsanctioned beach parties in Virginia Beach this spring have already begun circulating on social media, prompting the city's Police Chief Paul Neudigate to seek more enforcement authority to rein in unruly crowds. Past incidents of chaotic stampedes triggered by fears of gunfire have led officials to consider implementing an earlier teen curfew to prevent similar disturbances.

Why it matters

Virginia Beach has struggled with managing large, unplanned spring beach parties in recent years, with past events leading to dangerous crowd surges and public safety concerns. Officials are looking to get ahead of the issue this year by exploring new measures like an earlier curfew to try to prevent the parties from spiraling out of control.

The details

Police Chief Paul Neudigate has been pushing for legislation that would grant law enforcement more authority to disperse unruly crowds at the unsanctioned beach parties. Past events have seen chaotic stampedes triggered by fears of gunfire, leading to public safety risks.

  • Online posts promoting the spring beach parties have already begun circulating on social media.

The players

Paul Neudigate

The Police Chief of Virginia Beach who has been seeking more enforcement authority to control unruly crowds at the unsanctioned spring beach parties.

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What they’re saying

“Online posts hyping unsanctioned beach parties this spring are already popping up on social media, much to the chagrin of Police Chief Paul Neudigate.”

— Daily Press (wn.com)

What’s next

Officials in Virginia Beach are considering implementing an earlier teen curfew to try to prevent the unsanctioned spring beach parties from occurring and escalating out of control.

The takeaway

Virginia Beach has struggled with managing large, unplanned spring beach parties in recent years, leading to public safety concerns and dangerous crowd surges. The city is now exploring new measures like an earlier curfew to try to get ahead of the issue and prevent similar disturbances from happening again this year.