Alderman pushes curfew for downtown teens to 8 p.m. after couple attacked

A downtown alderman is calling for an earlier curfew for teens after a group attacked a Streeterville couple last Friday.

Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, wants an 8 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors in the city's central business district, he told voters in an email. The “unprovoked and aggravated assault” that prompted his appeal occurred during one of many “chronic youth gatherings, which have proven to be an incubator of violent and lawless activity,” Hopkins wrote.

“I do not believe that all the minors present at these recent gatherings have bad intentions,” he wrote. “But it is unfortunately clear that a few agitators and network leaders have repeatedly incited violent and chaotic actions and that this activity cannot be tolerated.”

The area where Hopkins hopes the City Council will enact a new curfew includes Loop, River North, Streeterville and West Loop.

In an anonymous interview with Fox 32, the couple attacked last Friday showed cuts, bruises and torn hair. They were repeatedly kicked, punched, stomped on and even pepper-sprayed, they said. The woman who was attacked said she was two weeks pregnant at the time and later discovered she had lost the baby.

Police said a group attacked the couple shortly after 9 p.m. near East Grand Avenue and North McClurg Street. A 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were arrested at the scene and each was charged with one misdemeanor count of battery, according to police. Hopkins asked the Cook County District Attorney's Office to file misdemeanor charges rather than felony charges.

A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson did not immediately respond to questions about the proposed curfew Thursday morning. Chicago imposes a citywide 10 p.m. curfew for children 17 and younger unaccompanied by a guardian.

In Millennium Park, Johnson chose to maintain a 6 p.m. teen curfew enacted by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, according to a city website. In May 2022, a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed in the park during a nighttime gathering of teenagers. In April 2023, chaos erupted nearby during another so-called “teenage takeover.”

At the time, dozens of teenagers attacked passersby downtown, sparking viral videos and a new crackdown for tougher enforcement. Two teenagers were shot during the chaos.

Johnson said in May that the Millennium Park curfew was “not consistent with my vision for the people of Chicago” but did not respond when asked directly if he would change the curfew policy. -park fire.

Instead, Johnson highlighted his efforts to increase investments aimed at providing safe and enriching summer opportunities for teens. The mayor increased funding this summer for Chicago's main youth employment program, One Summer Chicago, increasing capacity for 4,000 young people to now fill up to 28,000 jobs.

“The most important thing we can do is invest in young people. And that’s my only goal,” Johnson responded.

At least one downtown city councilor is skeptical of Hopkins' proposed curfew. Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, said he would defer to the police department on the need for the policy.

“They would be responsible for enforcing it. It seems to be quite difficult to apply. I should ask them if it’s a useful tool,” Conway said. “It is difficult to see how this curfew could be useful.”

Conway added that he doesn't see a reason why downtown should have an earlier curfew than other parts of the city. Chicago must work to provide young people with “meaningful opportunities,” he said.

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