CHICAGO—The Chicago Teachers Union is calling on city council members to reject a proposed ordinance that would allow police to enact a curfew anytime, anywhere, with just 30 minutes’ notice, in response to so-called “teen takeover” gatherings.
The CTU said the proposal is a “misguided approach” that “disproportionately targets Black youth.” The union is encouraging Chicago residents to contact their Alderperson to voice their opposition to the curfew proposal.
“Rather than uplifting our youth, it hands sweeping power to law enforcement to target and criminalize young people simply for existing in public spaces,” the CTU said in a statement. “This policy doesn’t solve a problem—it creates new ones.”
If approved, the ordinance would grant Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling the authority to declare a curfew with at least 30 minutes’ notice to disperse groups of 20 or more people. Those found in violation would have 30 minutes to disperse or be picked up by a parent or guardian, or risk a $250 fine and face community service. The curfew would automatically end after three hours, unless “probable cause” warrants an extension.
On May 20, the Committee on Public Safety passed the ordinance proposal by a 10-7 vote. The next day, the City Council delayed a vote on the matter. Alderperson Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) said she expects a vote to happen in June, according to a report from The TRIIBE.
While a prior version of the ordinance required that Snelling have consent from the deputy mayor for community safety to enact a snap curfew, the version that passed merely requires Snelling to consult with the deputy mayor beforehand.
The ordinance is intended to respond to teen takeovers—also referred to as “trends”— which are large gatherings of minors that have previously resulted in violence. In March, a 46-year-old tourist was shot and injured amid a teen takeover in Streeterville that included dozens of teens allegedly fighting and shoplifting. Later that month, a 15-year-old boy suffered a graze wound to his leg in a shooting at another teen takeover gathering.
In its statement, the CTU linked to an article from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois, which argues that curfews are ineffective at addressing crime. It cites studies by The Marshall Project and the Campbell Collaboration, the latter of which determined there is a “slight increase” in juvenile crime during curfew hours. The ACLU has also raised concerns over racially-biased enforcement, noting that the Chicago Police disproportionately arrested Black people during a 2020 curfew.
The CTU said students need investment and not criminalization, noting that the human brain isn’t fully developed until around the age of 25. The CTU said elected officials seem “more eager” to drag children “into the criminal legal system than to offer them after-school enrichment programs—like sports, art, music, and so much more.”
“What our children need isn’t criminalization—it’s care,” the CTU stated. “They need sustained investment in public education, mental health care, recreational spaces, and strong mentorship.”
“For far too long, City Hall has treated youth—especially Black and Brown youth—as problems to be punished rather than promises to be fulfilled,” the CTU continued. “That era must end. Now is the time for treatment, not trauma. For restorative justice—not more young people trapped in a broken system. And most of all, now is the time for more investment—not more investigations.”
Another concern for the ACLU is that the snap curfew could undermine the right to due process. In a prior interview with People’s World, an ACLU spokesperson said it’s “almost impossible” for someone to know when and where a curfew would be enforced with only 30 minutes’ notice.
“How do I follow the law, which is my goal, if I don’t know where and when the law is going to be put in place?” said ACLU Illinois communications director Ed Yohnka. “It feels like a lot of this is just the idea of being a deterrent; to deter people from coming into some parts of the city.”
Yohnka also questioned the necessity of a snap curfew.
“The Chicago Police Department already has more than ample powers to deal with large crowds of people,” Yohnka said. “And the way we know that is because they do it all the time.”
Yohnka said Chicago Police manage dozens of large-scale events every year, such as Lollapalooza, the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, professional sports games, and more.
“They do all of these crowd measures, they’re able to control these crowds, but suddenly, one group of people requires this special force that criminalizes people being in a certain area at a certain time,” Yohnka said.
Yohnka also stated that more investment in youth is needed to address teen takeovers and similar incidents, and noted that proposals such as this are hardly new.
“Every spring when the weather gets warm, there is some proposal for something to target kids who are coming downtown,” Yohnka said.
“Somehow we always see the proposal for policing… we never get to the moment when we’re actually going to do the hard work of trying to build up opportunities in the community. If we’re serious about addressing this, we go to the root causes and not constantly trying to treat the symptoms.”
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