Overview

• The Public Safety Committee is meeting to consider a revised ordinance allowing police to enforce temporary curfews for unaccompanied teenagers in response to large gatherings that have turned violent.
• Ald. Brian Hopkins has advocated for the measure following recent downtown incidents, shifting from a fixed curfew to a flexible 'snap curfew' model.
• Critics, including the ACLU of Illinois, question the proposal's constitutionality and effectiveness, labeling it a short-term solution to deeper systemic issues.
• Teenagers and youth advocates argue the policy restricts their access to public spaces and call for investment in youth programs and safe community events instead.
• Existing restrictions, such as Navy Pier's escort policy and Millennium Park's curfew, already limit unaccompanied minors' access to downtown venues.