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Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Mayor Brandon Johnson should not veto snap curfews
On Wednesday, Chicago's City Council passed by a vote of 27-22 an ordinance authorizing so-called 'snap curfews,' meaning that Chicago police will have the authority to get teenagers off the streets if they sense trouble is brewing. In essence, police Superintendent Larry Snelling would have the power to impose curfews in specific public areas within Chicago where large, unpermitted teen gatherings are beginning, or expected soon to form. The idea is that police officers would be able to tell those already assembled that they have 30 minutes either to go home or take a walk with just a couple of friends elsewhere. Mayor Brandon Johnson blasted the ordinance approved by a clear majority of aldermen and said he planned to issue a rare mayoral veto (the first since 2006, the Richard M. Daley era) in coming days. He should rethink that idea. We're aware of arguments against giving the police this power, especially given our long-standing interest in guarding civil liberties. We've been concerned about a couple of kids being inside a movie theater, for example, only to walk out onto the street without knowing about any curfew and then finding themselves in conflict with the police. We're also of the view that law-abiding teens must be welcomed downtown and that there is nothing illegal in gathering with friends on a warm summer's night, shooting the breeze. That's why we were against making the existing 10 p.m. curfew for Under 17s any earlier, and why we applaud Jahmal Cole, founder and CEO of 'My Block, My Hood, My City,' who is planning to bring over 1,500 teens, primarily from the South and West sides, into the business and cultural districts of downtown Chicago on July 19 for what he calls 'a day of exploration, belonging and new opportunities.' This will be the third year the nonprofit organization also known as M3 will have chaperoned an initiative powered by donors and volunteers; we hear Cole expects to have more participants than ever this year. The plan is both to make these teens feel like they belong downtown, as they should, and also to start to shift some negative perceptions among downtown business owners and workers. We hope everyone has a great time together. But there is often a tradeoff between civil liberties and crime prevention and, where minors are concerned, protection must come first. If it is handled right, this new police power might actually keep kids safer by pre-empting any trouble before it happens. And to think that there is no danger of such trouble when teens gather en masse downtown is to put your head in the sand when it comes to the lessons of recent history, especially as hot summer nights are upon us. Johnson claimed that the ordinance, introduced by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), 'is counterproductive to the progress that we have made in reducing crime and violence in our city.' With all due respect, we don't see the merit of that argument. It should be seen as a tool. And let's remember that incidents of violent crime don't just affect tourists or the business district — they're usually worse for the kids caught up in any melee. No parent or grandparent wants a teen to get stuck around a group of hot-headed peers who might encourage them to do things they later have cause to regret and that impairs the progress of their promising young lives. Such scenarios typically terrify a teenager's loved ones. Perhaps most importantly here, the city's aldermen, many of whom represent the impacted families and know their communities very well, are telling the mayor loud and clear that they this protection, not just for folks downtown but for the kids themselves. And the vote would suggest that these aldermen of the majority, such as Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), trust Snelling to guard against any problems, which will mean using the ordinance very sparingly, offering as much advance notice as possible and focusing on de-escalation. Snelling already has said in several interviews that he will commit to that. Good. And if no snap curfew is ever needed this summer, all the better. Still, whatever his ideological misgivings or sense of being personally affronted, the mayor would be wise to listen to the City Council and add this ordinance to the police's toolbox for keeping everyone safe.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chicago City Council takes radical step to fight against ‘teen takeovers'
A last-minute curfew designed to keep 'teen takeovers' at bay has been passed in Chicago , but it's expected to be vetoed by the city's mayor. The city council measure passed 27 to 22 on Wednesday, according to ABC7. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the ordinance a 'politicized knee-jerk reaction.' It's unclear if council members have the necessary numbers to override a veto. "Offering up police power, extended police power without any check or balance has not bode well for Black people and brown people in this country," said Johnson. If enacted, the measure would give Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling the ability to implement a last-minute curfew to disperse teenage gatherings across the city. Snelling would also need to consult with the Chicago deputy mayor of public safety before issuing a curfew. Police would be able to enforce the restriction for gatherings of 20 people or more starting 30 minutes after a curfew is issued. "I have a 17-year-old daughter that I have restricted, 'Do not go downtown.' She's not going downtown because it's safe. She can't go because it's unsafe," Alderwoman Monique Scott said, according to the outlet. Ahead of Wednesday's debate, demonstrators protested outside City Hall. Many young people said they were concerned the ordinance would unintentionally target them. Others said such a measure is unconstitutional and could result in the criminalization of teenagers and young children. "We say no to the snap curfew because again it defunds our youth, criminalizes our youth and destroys our narrative and perception of this city," said Commissioner for Public Safety and Accountability Abierre Minor. Brian Hopkins, Public Safety Committee chairman, told the outlet, the intent behind the ordinance was to keep everyone safe during the summer months. "The intent of this ordinance is to prevent teen trends. How long does it take to prevent a teen trend? However long it takes, the more opportunity we have to prevent it, the better off it is, and that's what the superintendent is going to do," he said. "This will be used in a constitutional and effective manner, and all the notice requirements that are in the ordinance will be adhered to... No one here thinks it's perfectly acceptable for large groups of teenagers, some as young as 12, to gather anywhere in the city, downtown or anywhere, and get out of control and to take guns out of their backpacks and to engage in violent behavior and mayhem and chaos." Local governments are dealing with similar issues in other parts of the country. Last month, officials in Charleston, South Carolina, entertained the idea of implementing a curfew to lower violent incidents downtown. This week in Washington, D.C., officials considered a 7 p.m. curfew for teenagers in certain parts of the city. Emergency legislation would need to pass the council to take effect.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Chicago City Council takes radical step to fight against ‘teen takeovers'
A last-minute curfew designed to keep 'teen takeovers' at bay has been passed in Chicago , but it's expected to be vetoed by the city's mayor. The city council measure passed 27 to 22 on Wednesday, according to ABC7. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the ordinance a 'politicized knee-jerk reaction.' It's unclear if council members have the necessary numbers to override a veto. "Offering up police power, extended police power without any check or balance has not bode well for Black people and brown people in this country," said Johnson. If enacted, the measure would give Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling the ability to implement a last-minute curfew to disperse teenage gatherings across the city. Snelling would also need to consult with the Chicago deputy mayor of public safety before issuing a curfew. Police would be able to enforce the restriction for gatherings of 20 people or more starting 30 minutes after a curfew is issued. "I have a 17-year-old daughter that I have restricted, 'Do not go downtown.' She's not going downtown because it's safe. She can't go because it's unsafe," Alderwoman Monique Scott said, according to the outlet. Ahead of Wednesday's debate, demonstrators protested outside City Hall. Many young people said they were concerned the ordinance would unintentionally target them. Others said such a measure is unconstitutional and could result in the criminalization of teenagers and young children. "We say no to the snap curfew because again it defunds our youth, criminalizes our youth and destroys our narrative and perception of this city," said Commissioner for Public Safety and Accountability Abierre Minor. Brian Hopkins, Public Safety Committee chairman, told the outlet, the intent behind the ordinance was to keep everyone safe during the summer months. "The intent of this ordinance is to prevent teen trends. How long does it take to prevent a teen trend? However long it takes, the more opportunity we have to prevent it, the better off it is, and that's what the superintendent is going to do," he said. "This will be used in a constitutional and effective manner, and all the notice requirements that are in the ordinance will be adhered to... No one here thinks it's perfectly acceptable for large groups of teenagers, some as young as 12, to gather anywhere in the city, downtown or anywhere, and get out of control and to take guns out of their backpacks and to engage in violent behavior and mayhem and chaos." Local governments are dealing with similar issues in other parts of the country. Last month, officials in Charleston, South Carolina, entertained the idea of implementing a curfew to lower violent incidents downtown. This week in Washington, D.C., officials considered a 7 p.m. curfew for teenagers in certain parts of the city. Emergency legislation would need to pass the council to take effect.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Chicago Allows Summer Curfews for Minors as Mayor Vows Veto
By Updated on Save Chicago's city council voted to give its police chief the green light to enforce temporary curfews for minors in a bid to curb violence that has typically ramped up during the summer months, prompting Mayor Brandon Johnson to vow to block the measure. The council approved a proposal Wednesday to allow Police Superintendent Larry Snelling to enact three-hour curfews with just 30 minutes of notice. Under the measure, which would take effect in 10 days unless it's vetoed, a so-called snap curfew can be enacted when gatherings 20 or more minors are thought to present a threat to public safety.
Mint
a day ago
- Politics
- Mint
Chicago Allows Summer Curfews for Minors as Mayor Vows Veto
(Bloomberg) -- Chicago's city council voted to give its police chief the green light to enforce temporary curfews for minors in a bid to curb violence that has typically ramped up during the summer months, prompting Mayor Brandon Johnson to vow to block the measure. The council approved a proposal Wednesday to allow Police Superintendent Larry Snelling to enact three-hour curfews with just 30 minutes of notice. Under the measure, which would take effect in 10 days unless it's vetoed, a so-called snap curfew can be enacted when gatherings 20 or more minors are thought to present a threat to public safety. The third-largest US city has struggled to manage mass gatherings of teenagers in recent years, many of which have taken place near Millennium Park and the Magnificent Mile, Chicago's luxury shopping district. In March, a tourist from Connecticut was accidentally shot when a 15-year-old opened fire after his group of teenagers was kicked out of a movie theater downtown, according to a local news report. Johnson called the measure a 'knee-jerk reactionary ordinance' and said there isn't any empirical evidence that curfews will reduce violence. He pledged to veto the bill, which passed with 27 votes in favor and 22 against. The proposal was sponsored by Brian Hopkins, the councilman whose district covers much of the wealthy Gold Coast and Streeterville neighborhoods. 'This curfew ordinance is a better alternative to arresting teenagers,' Hopkins said at Wednesday's meeting. 'The police can arrest them, but let's give them something better so that they don't have to. Let the teenagers be safely returned to their families when a parent or guardian comes and gets them. That is much better than having to arrest them for doing the things that are in fact criminal acts. These are criminal acts, not innocent high jinks.' The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois opposed the measure, saying in a letter that it 'does not comport with legal standards for arrest and prosecution.' The Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild was also against it, saying it 'has the serious potential to violate people's due process rights to have notice of what conduct is prohibited or illegal.' 'We are concerned this proposal would subject Black and brown teenagers to the same historical over-policing that violates equal protection rights and is harmful and unjust,' the group said in a statement. Crime rates fell 12% in Chicago last year, but were still up 48% from 2020, according to data from the city's police department. Still, Chicago typically sees a rise in crime during the summer months, which account for a third of the city's shootings each year, according to the University of Chicago's Crime Lab. Under the measure approved by the city council, a snap curfew can be enacted after Chicago's police chief consults the deputy mayor of community safety. The superintendent also needs to inform the public and Office of Emergency Management and Communications, which will issue a notification to sister agencies and to offices of the city's councilmen. (Updates with mayor's veto pledge in first paragraph.) More stories like this are available on
