Chicago City Council defers vote on proposal for earlier downtown curfew for minors
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago City Council deferred voting on a proposal from Alderman Brian Hopkins for an earlier curfew for unaccompanied minors downtown.
Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins is proposing moving the curfew up to 8 p.m. from its current time of 10 p.m.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
This comes after a couple out on a date was attacked at the end of May by a group of teens in Streeterville.
Chicago police said a 40-year-old man was hit several times in the head while his partner had her hair pulled out by a 17-year-old girl.
The teens were arrested and charged with battery.
Fortieth Ward Alderman Andre Vasquez said it would not be effective, in reducing violence, while some city residents are in favor.
"I think largely what it is, is a PR piece that doesn't actually get anything done," Alderman Vazquez said. "Most of the time it's not being enforced. As a rule itself, it's too broad and lends itself to a lot of CPD racial profiling and later on misconduct cases, so I've got concerns about that."
"There's a lot of rif-raf over where I live and it just gets a little crazy hours," resident Kirk Johnson said. "8 o'clock would be a great time to put a delay on that 'till the following morning."
The proposed curfew change comes as there have already been large gatherings of young people in the downtown area as summer begins.
The council deferred voting on the measure.
"Now what we're seeing is they're starting earlier, and the crimes that are happening are happening earlier, and the police have asked me to do this because if they want to break up some of these gatherings, say on the beach, for example, they want to be able to do it before it gets to a crowd of 100," said 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, who sponsored the ordinance.
"So all this is, is a PR stunt to make it look like you're doing something for public safety, when in reality, it wouldn't get enforced," said 40th Ward Ald. Andre Vasquez.
"If a young person had to be passed to be accompanied by an adult, what is the definition of an adult? Is it an 18 year old? Is it a 19 year old is it a 21 year old? These are just reasonable questions," said Mayor Johnson.
The curfew ordinance will now head to the rules committee.
