Chicago alders are expected to vote on “snap curfews” today, once and for all.
Also called “roving curfews” or “roaming curfews,” this option would allow Chicago Police Department Supt. Larry Snelling to set temporary curfews for teens anywhere in the city.
The constitutionality of snap curfews has been debated since Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) first pushed the proposal last month. The measure narrowly passed through the Public Safety Committee on Tuesday.
How Did We Get Here?
After two people were shot during “teen takeovers” in Streeterville during March, Hopkins clamored to implement an 8 p.m. curfew downtown only. He planned to force a City Council vote on April 16, then suddenly pivoted to introduce new, broader legislation instead: snap curfews.
Hopkins said he’d discussed the option with Snelling, which initially would have granted CPD commanders broad authority to impose the curfews at will. However, after a fiery, five-hour debate at City Council on April 30, the ordinance changed shape.
About Snap Curfews
Should City Council approve snap curfews, Snelling (with consent from the deputy mayor for community safety), could declare a three-hour curfew, any time, anywhere that 20 or more gathered people are “likely to [harm] the safety of the community or others, or [cause] substantial damage to property.”
This is a change from Hopkins’ original legislation, which delegated that power to Snelling and all 22 of his district commanders.
If a snap curfew goes into effect, minors nearby would have 30 minutes to disperse. There is no limit on how large the curfew area could be. If minors fail to disperse, they could be taken into custody and their parents or guardians could be fined $500.
An on-scene commander would announce the curfew. It’s unclear at this point how else snap curfews would be publicized.
There would also be several exceptions to snap curfews. Among them: First Amendment activity, ticketed events, travel to and from work, errands for parents, and civic or religious engagements.
The Curfew Debate
Mayor Brandon Johnson has been vocally against blanket and additional curfews, but as Block Club’s Melody Mercado told City Cast Chicago, he does not have the support to veto the snap curfew measure. Required consultation from the deputy mayor for community safety would allow for limited checks and balances. (Please note that a provision requiring consent of the deputy mayor was removed May 20.)
Additionally, in the last month, Johnson’s office hosted a first-of-its kind meeting that brought together law enforcement, health officials, politicians, and violence-prevention organizations to discuss alternative ways to address the “teen takeover” trend. Nonpolice intervention appeared to be a popular alternative.
Notably, over the last month of the snap curfew debate, there were no injuries stemming from teen meet-ups. April murders also reached a historic low — 19 — not seen since 1962.
The Current Curfew System
Chicago’s current curfew for minors is 10 p.m. Then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot changed it from 11 p.m. in 2022 following a fatal shooting at Millennium Park.
After participating in a city roundtable this month, several teens expressed that downtown feels off limits:
- Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park have a 6 p.m. minor curfew, Thursday through Sunday. Minors also cannot attend public events there unsupervised.
- Navy Pier has a 5 p.m. minor curfew on weekends.
- The Water Tower Place has a 4 p.m. minor curfew on weekends.
- The Streeterville AMC Theater has an 8 p.m. minor curfew every day.
Interestingly, curfew citations remain low. According to Southside Weekly, CPD has issued just 58 curfew citations since January 2020.
