A downtown alderman aims to relaunch the Chicago teen curfew debate with what he described as a new and improved version of his previous ordinance that was vetoed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, told reporters Wednesday he will introduce legislation that would give Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling authority to declare an earlier teen curfew for a specific area with at least 12 hours notice.

The mayoral opponent said that’s a necessary tool after a chaotic “teen takeover” outside the Chicago Theatre last month ended with a 14-year-old boy killed and eight other teens wounded in shootings.

“We wanted to have reasonable restrictions. There were concerns about the possible abuse of the curfew tool under the previous snap curfew ordinance,” Hopkins said. “The point is to prevent these events from happening in the first place, and this new time and place curfew will absolutely accomplish that goal.”

A spokesperson for the Chicago police did not immediately comment Wednesday morning.

The mayor is likely to again resist Hopkins’ effort. Following the Chicago Theatre mayhem, Johnson told reporters that 700 additional police officers were preparing that day “for what we saw coming across the internet” and blamed social media algorithms for spreading negativity.

“What we can’t do is give people a pacifier and make them believe that they are being made whole,” Johnson said when asked about a potential return of the curfew debate. “And so no, I don’t have a high tolerance, you all, for a tepid approach towards how we drive violence down in the city of Chicago.”

In June, Johnson issued Chicago’s first mayoral veto since 2006 when he overruled Hopkins’ ordinance that passed in a 27-22 vote, short of the 34 votes needed to override the mayor’s move.

That version required police to give 30 minutes notice onsite before a curfew would be implemented. Snelling said he would not use that power, but suggested he could use the ordinance to declare preemptive curfews days in advance when police learned of planned, potentially chaotic gatherings.

Hopkins said Wednesday his amended ordinance does just that. He noted that last month’s gunfire hours after the Millennium Park tree lighting ceremony was connected to a “teen takeover” that had made the rounds on social media the previous few days.

Police reports indicated that teens from as far away as Dolton and Evanston traveled downtown for a gathering that night.

“You’re going to be met with violence interrupters. You’re going to be met with counselors from your school, and they’re going to tell you, this is not a safe thing you’re trying to organize, and we’re not going to allow it,” Hopkins said. “So it creates an incentive for them to just cancel the event or not show up. That’s the point of this whole thing.”

He added that he has consulted Snelling about the new legislation but declined to say whether the superintendent has endorsed it.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/chicago-teen-curfew-plan-12-hour-notice-police/