Proponents of an ordinance that would allow the superintendent of Chicago police to impose a “snap curfew” in response to teen gatherings say they could bring the measure for a vote this week.
That measure, opposed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, has caused heated debate on both previous instances it was brought before the Council, but supporters of the ordinance now say they have the votes to pass it over the mayor’s objections.
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WATCH HEREAccording to the text of the ordinance, Supt. Larry Snelling would have the power to declare a temporary curfew anywhere in the city with at least 30 minutes notice when mass gatherings are either planned or already underway. The measure has gained steam after a series of high-profile “teen takeovers” in various parts of the city, including several in the Streeterville neighborhood that led to shootings in recent months.
Johnson called the idea of snap curfews “a lazy form of governance,” and lashed out again at the measure.
“We cannot afford lazy governance, and just wash our hands, absolve ourselves of any responsibility and say ‘police, you do it.’ That is antiquated. That form of governance is dead and should remain dead,” he said.
Ald. Brian Hopkins, a supporter of the measure, said he believes the mayor is lashing out at the ordinance because he knows it’s poised to pass over his objections.
“He’s never been in support of this ordinance, but to throw some shade at it at the last minute is unnecessary,” he said. “I think it signals his awareness that there is a majority in the City Council who are in favor of this.”
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Hopkins expressed confidence that he has the votes to pass the measure.
“I do have the votes,” he said. “The superintendent has indicated his firm support for the ordinance. It’s a tool that he wants and knows how to use effectively and constitutionally to prevent some of these violent teen trends from happening.”
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SIGN UP In an interview recently with the Chicago Sun-Times, Snelling said that he would be willing to utilize the curfew law in advance of a gathering if actionable intelligence was available, though he did question whether he would utilize the 30-minute-notice portion of the measure.
“It would be used as a deterrent, where if we had that information days prior to implementing the curfew in that location, that we would send out notifications to Child Protective Services, to parents, to everyone,” he had told the paper.
However, in recent testimony before a federal judge on the state of Chicago’s consent decree, he went a step further in criticizing the 30-minute “snap curfew” portion of the bill, saying he'd "never" use it.
“It would be unfair to the youth who are already in that location,” Snelling said, according to WBEZ. “That is not something that I asked for or that I need. That is a proposal within that ordinance from the alderman.”
Amid those comments, a floor fight could emerge during Wednesday’s City Council meeting between cosponsors of the measure and allies of the mayor, who are seeking to spend more money on community programs, which they argue have been instrumental in recent reductions in violent crime in Chicago.
“We have to do the things that work,” Johnson said. “We are doing the things that work. That’s why we are seeing the declines we are seeing right now.”
