Chicago City Council Proposes Revised Curfew Measure to Curb Teen Takeovers
In an effort to prevent another tragic incident like last month's deadly shootings at Chicago's Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, Alderman Brian Hopkins has introduced a revised curfew ordinance that aims to strengthen the city's laws against mass gatherings. The new measure would give police superintendent Larry Snelling the power to declare a four-hour curfew with 12 hours' notice and a predetermined expiration time.
Under the proposed law, only gatherings of 20 or more people deemed "likely to result in substantial harm to the safety" of others, "substantial damage to property," or "substantial injuries" would be subject to dispersal orders. Those who refuse to disperse could face arrest. To enforce curfew, police officers would need to consult with Deputy Mayor Garien Gatewood and have probable cause to believe a mass gathering will occur.
Hopkins' revised ordinance addresses concerns raised by the mayor in vetoing his previous snap curfew measure, citing potential costly lawsuits and erosion of trust between citizens and police. The new version "solves all of the concerns the mayor had," Hopkins said, adding that he hopes the measure won't be vetoed again.
Social media plays a crucial role in promoting mass gatherings, and the city aims to crack down on this issue. An ordinance introduced by Hopkins and Alderman William Hall would require social media companies to remove notifications about "unlawful teen gatherings" or face $50,000 fines.
The plan comes after last month's deadly incident, which was preceded by warnings from Chicago Public Schools to parents to keep their teens away from the event if they were going to be unsupervised. Despite a significant police presence, the gathering turned violent, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.
While Hopkins acknowledges that the 12-hour notice period may allow teen takeover organizers to change plans, he believes it's necessary to prevent such incidents from occurring. "Kids will be kids," he said, but emphasized that the city must take proactive steps to stop these events.
In an effort to prevent another tragic incident like last month's deadly shootings at Chicago's Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, Alderman Brian Hopkins has introduced a revised curfew ordinance that aims to strengthen the city's laws against mass gatherings. The new measure would give police superintendent Larry Snelling the power to declare a four-hour curfew with 12 hours' notice and a predetermined expiration time.
Under the proposed law, only gatherings of 20 or more people deemed "likely to result in substantial harm to the safety" of others, "substantial damage to property," or "substantial injuries" would be subject to dispersal orders. Those who refuse to disperse could face arrest. To enforce curfew, police officers would need to consult with Deputy Mayor Garien Gatewood and have probable cause to believe a mass gathering will occur.
Hopkins' revised ordinance addresses concerns raised by the mayor in vetoing his previous snap curfew measure, citing potential costly lawsuits and erosion of trust between citizens and police. The new version "solves all of the concerns the mayor had," Hopkins said, adding that he hopes the measure won't be vetoed again.
Social media plays a crucial role in promoting mass gatherings, and the city aims to crack down on this issue. An ordinance introduced by Hopkins and Alderman William Hall would require social media companies to remove notifications about "unlawful teen gatherings" or face $50,000 fines.
The plan comes after last month's deadly incident, which was preceded by warnings from Chicago Public Schools to parents to keep their teens away from the event if they were going to be unsupervised. Despite a significant police presence, the gathering turned violent, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.
While Hopkins acknowledges that the 12-hour notice period may allow teen takeover organizers to change plans, he believes it's necessary to prevent such incidents from occurring. "Kids will be kids," he said, but emphasized that the city must take proactive steps to stop these events.
... like, i get it, last month was super tragic & all, but 12 hours is still pretty chill time for teens 2 plan & execute mass gatherings 
... plus, what's next? gonna have to track social media activity 2o? that sounds like a whole lotta privacy invasion 
... and, honestly, i feel 4 the teens, they should b able 2 make their own decisions about when & where 2 hang out...
. These revised curfew laws sound like they could help, but I don't know if it's a good idea to arrest people who just wanna hang out with their friends? 
20+ people gathering can be pretty chaotic, and I get that the city wants to keep everyone safe. But isn't there a way to do it without feeling like we're being treated like we're in some kinda lockdown 
?
Interesting how some cities are taking social media into consideration when making laws about mass gatherings! The part where they can fine social media companies if they don't remove notifications is a new one 
I think it's good for them to try and crack down on promoting unlawful teen gatherings, especially since the last event was really tragic 
It's crazy how social media can be used to spread info about gatherings and then get all wild and crazy. Like, yep, it's not cool when that happens 
. But at the same time, a 12-hour notice period might not give teen organizers enough time to scramble their plans... IDK, maybe that's just me being too lenient 
. Still, I hope this revised ordinance helps prevent more incidents like last month... it's all about keeping those teens safe and sound 
!