CHICAGO (WLS) — The City Council is preparing to move forward with a new curfew ordinance to address the problem of teen takeovers.
A compromise was worked out Wednesday morning before the start of the City Council meeting.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Alderman Brian Hopkins from downtown revealed that he has reached a compromise with his fellow City Council members regarding the implementation of specific curfews to tackle safety issues arising from teen takeovers across the city.
Following several incidents of teen takeovers, including a recent one involving the shooting of a 15-year-old boy, Hopkins initially suggested adjusting the curfew for minors not accompanied by adults from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the central business area.
RELATED | Alderperson seeks earlier curfew for minors after shooting during Streeterville teen takeover
But the mayor was not on board with that and there was not enough support in the council.
The solution now involves a discretionary curfew that could be enforced by either the police superintendent or local commanders at their discretion and in any location or timeframe, particularly in response to large gatherings.
“It’s based on when these teen takeovers actually occur, we can respond to this tool,” Alderman Hopkins said. “When there’s nothing going on like in the winter months when these things tend to not happen, we don’t necessarily need this curfew, so it’s applied on an as needed basis. It is declared in response to what’s happening, and then after the event is over, the curfew lapses until it such time it needs to be brought fourth again.”
RELATED: 14-year-old charged in downtown Chicago shooting of 15-year-old during March ‘teen takeover’: CPD
Hopkins said he has the support to get this revised ordinance passed and the law department has signed off on its legality.
He plans to hold a public hearing and then eventually bring it up for a vote at the May City Council meeting so it would be in place before the Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial kickoff to the summer.
Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
