Overview

• On July 16 the City Council fell six votes short of the two-thirds needed to overturn Mayor Johnson’s veto, definitively halting the snap curfew initiative.
• The proposal would have given Police Superintendent Larry Snelling power to impose up to three-hour curfews anywhere in Chicago with just 30 minutes’ notice when large teen gatherings were expected.
• Mayor Johnson vetoed the ordinance on June 19, calling it counterproductive to recent crime declines and highlighting new investments in youth jobs, mental health and safe spaces.
• Supporters led by Ald. Brian Hopkins said the curfew would deter violent “teen takeovers,” though Snelling testified he would not use the emergency curfew authority if enacted.
• Youth organizers and civil rights groups warned the measure risked over-policing Black and Brown teens and applauded the veto as a chance to expand community-based violence prevention.