By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A Chicago alderman has changed his proposal to impose an earlier teen curfew in the downtown area. The new idea from Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) would allow police commanders to impose emergency curfews for unaccompanied minors at any hour and at any location in the city. He previously sought an 8 p.m. curfew for the downtown area.
After two recent shootings in her neighborhood, Streeterville resident Kathy Gregg urged city officials to act.
“We are facing a crisis that cannot wait. Teen takeovers in our city have escalated into gun violence. People are being shot, and the safety of our community is rapidly deteriorating,” Gregg said Wednesday.
Two shootings with injuries were reported in recent weeks as crowds of teenagers met downtown, blocked streets, jumped on cars and engaged in altercations. A 15-year-old was charged with one of the shootings and a 14-year-old is accused of the other.
“It’s not a substitute resolution. It’s actually a replacement resolution which has been duly submitted to the public safety committee. A hearing will be held promptly on that, so there’s no need for a Rule 41 vote today,” Hopkins said Wednesday afternoon.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the revised curfew plan was an improvement and showed the benefit of bringing people together.
“What’s most important is, as I’ve said from the very beginning, we cannot just shift the problem into a different neighborhood, and we have to make sure that we are creating spaces for accountability and opportunities. It’s a holistic approach, and this is clearly a step in the right direction as more voices and stakeholders get to play a part in the development of a solution,” Johnson said.
The mayor spoke after a meeting of the Chicago City Council on Wednesday.
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