
Push to Make Teen Curfew Even Earlier Downtown
Clip: 6/10/2024 | 8m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
A controversial proposal would make an 8 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors downtown.
There is a new push to change Chicago's curfew for unaccompanied minors downtown to 8 p.m. That would be two hours earlier than the 10 p.m. city-wide curfew.
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Push to Make Teen Curfew Even Earlier Downtown
Clip: 6/10/2024 | 8m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
There is a new push to change Chicago's curfew for unaccompanied minors downtown to 8 p.m. That would be two hours earlier than the 10 p.m. city-wide curfew.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> THERE'S A NEW PUSH TO CHANGE CHICAGO'S CURFEW FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS DOWNTOWN TO 08:00PM.
THAT'S 2 HOURS EARLIER THAN THE 10:00PM CITYWIDE TEEN CURFEW.
THE CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSAL COMES AFTER A VIOLENT ATTACK IN STREETERVILLE THAT POLICE SAY WAS PERPETRATED BY 2 TEENS.
JOINING US NOW IS JAMES WHALE'S, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH LOOP NEIGHBORS.
WE ALSO INVITED ALDERMAN BRIAN HOPKINS WHO IS PROPOSING THE EARLIER CURFEW IN ALDERMAN BRENDAN REILLY WHO REPORTEDLY SUPPORTS THE PLAN, BUT BOTH HAVE DECLINED.
WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE CHICAGO LOOP ALLIANCE AND A NUMBER OF OTHER DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, BUT THEY DECLINED AS WELL.
JAMES WHALE'S, WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK SO FIRST, REMIND US IF YOU WOULD, WHY A TEEN CURFEW WAS CREATED FOR CHICAGO IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WELL, WOULD SUGGEST US THE I THINK FOR THEIR INTENTION, THEIR ON BOARD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A I THINK SUPERINTENDENTS KNOWING CENTERED RIGHT ON THAT KIDS SHOULDN'T BE OUT AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT.
>> AND THAT'S AN STATEMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE IN OPPOSITION TO THE ENHANCED CURFEW ARE NOT GOING AGAINST THAT STATEMENT.
BUT MY FEELING AND THE FEELING OF OTHERS.
I ALSO SERVE ON VICE PRESIDENT GRANT PARK ADVISORY COUNCIL AND WE HAVE ALREADY TAKEN A POSITION THIS.
IS THIS THIS REALLY LATE ASSIST TIME TO HAVE AN ENHANCED CURFEW IS ALREADY PART OF PLAYBOOK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PUT IN THE PLACE.
FOR INSTANCE, MAGGIE DALEY PARK KNOW KIDS ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 ARE ALLOWED IN THERE AFTER 06:00PM ON THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
AND WE ARE ADAMANTLY AGAINST BECAUSE THE PARK IS MADE FOR KIDS SPECIFICALLY.
MAGGIE DALEY, PARK AND AND THAT THAT PARTICULAR MAKES NO SENSE.
WE QUESTIONED AND NOW WITH THIS, THIS AND THIS NEW ATTEMPT TO ENHANCE THE CURFEW TO 8 O'CLOCK THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WE THINK IS FOR HEARTY YOU KNOW, WE HAVE.
THE LAST CENSUS DATA SHOW THAT THERE'S OVER 500,000 KIDS WHO LIVE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS PENALIZING 500,000 KIDS FOR THE ACTIONS OF 3 TO 400 KIDS.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE 08:00PM IS ALSO A BIT EARLY.
HOWEVER, MAJOR YOU KNOW HIM.
AND I I THINK THAT THE ATTEMPT TO IMPLEMENT SOME TYPE OF ACTION TO STOP THESE HORRENDOUS INCIDENTS.
>> IS IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
BUT STUDIES HAVE INDICATED CURFEWS HAVE NO IMPACT ON CRIME.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF STUDIES THAT HAVE HAVE HAVE BORNE THAT OUT.
IN FACT, I THINK WASHINGTON, D.C., ENACTED A ENHANCE CURFEW AND THEY SAW INCREASE IN CRIME DURING THE CURFEW HOURS.
>> SOME ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS BY THIS KIND OF A CURFEW, RIGHT, GIVES A POLICE OFFICER'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO TO TO BASICALLY CREATE A SITUATION WHERE NOW YOU'VE GOT TEENS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED WITH WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM INVOLVED WITH THE LAW AND MAYBE IT'S JUST A MATTER OF A TICKET OR A FINE AND OFF YOU GO.
BUT STILL, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT BY CREATING A LOT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW LAW TO BE BROKEN.
THAT IS CORRECT.
THAT IS A POSSIBILITY.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT HITS ON ANOTHER TARGET.
>> THE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S 2000 OFFICERS SHORT AND ANYONE WHO THINKS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TIME TO BE ENFORCING CURFEW LAWS WHEN THEY CANNOT EVEN RESPOND TO CRIMES IN PROGRESS, I THINK IS IS BEING PUT PARTY.
>> THAT SAID, OBVIOUSLY, I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS BY BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS AND RESIDENTS IN IN THE LOOP AREA CRIME COMING TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND WE SAW IT LAST SUMMER AS WELL WITH THE SO-CALLED TEEN TAKEOVERS LARGE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF FLASH MOBS OF TEENS SHOWING UP.
HOW CAN YOU KNOW THOSE SITUATIONS THAT KIND OF TURNED VIOLENT?
HOW CAN THAT BE AVOIDED?
WELL, I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS NUMBER ONE, THERE'S THERE'S A COUPLE ANSWERS TO THAT.
I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE REASON FOR THE KIDS CONGREGATING DOWNTOWN COMING DOWN AND CONGREGATING.
>> I THINK THE SECOND THING THAT HAS TO BE LOOKED INSTEAD OF HOLDING ALL THE KIDS WHO LIVE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF A FEW.
WE NEED TO START HOLDING THOSE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHO ARE BREAKING THE LAW.
AND THERE'S A LOT ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE LARGE GATHERINGS, THAT'S DISORDERLY WHEN YOU HAVE THEM STARTING TO IMPEDE TRAFFIC, STARTING YOU KNOW, BREAK THERE'S THERE'S A NUMBER OF OF OF CRIMES THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS THAT THAT PREVENT THAT I THINK THE SECOND THING IS CHICAGO HAS A PRINTER RESPONSIBILITY OR AND WHAT THEY PERHAPS NEED TO DO IS LOOK AT PERHAPS UTILIZING THAT ORDINANCE FOR THE THE OFFENDERS ON THESE THESE INCIDENTS, THESE TERRIBLE INCIDENTS.
HOW PREVALENT IS VIOLENCE PERPETRATED BY TEENS?
AGAIN, I I THINK THAT.
WHAT PEOPLE SEE IS WHAT READ IN NEWSPAPERS AND SEE ON THE TV.
AND SO PERCEPTION IS IT'S IT'S QUITE LARGE.
I THINK THAT THAT PROBABLY IS NOT BORNE OUT BY THE FACTS.
I THINK KIDS CERTAINLY SITUATIONS WHERE THEY DID BECOME OFFENDERS AND VIOLENT CRIME, BUT THAT THAT GOES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.
YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CURFEWS ON PUBLIC SAFETY >> AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO CURRENTLY ALREADY HAS A 10:00PM CURFEW THAT WAS INSTATED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
ANY THOUGHTS EVEN ANECDOTALLY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT 10:00PM CURFEW.
>> BUT, YOU KNOW, MY PREVIOUS LIFE I TAUGHT CRIMINAL AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL AND I WOULD UTILIZE CURFEW IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IN EFFECT OF SOME LAWS ARE AND CURFEW.
YOU KNOW, IT'S OFTEN TIMES PEOPLE THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CURFEW ON PETE.
DID THE KIDS ARE GOING TO STAY AT HOME AND THE REALITY OF THAT IS WHEN YOU'RE A KID AND YOU SNEAK OUT AT NIGHT AT 2 O'CLOCK, 3 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND YOU SEE A SQUAD CAR DRIVE BY DOES THAT.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO GO HOME BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A CURFEW YOU INTO THE SQUAD CARS, GUNMEN GO OUT AND DO WHAT YOU'RE GOING SO I THINK THAT CURFEW LAWS, OUR GUIDE.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT WE SHOULD NOT EXPECT THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A DETERRENT TO CRIME.
>> THEN THERE'S THE CONCERN THAT CURFEWS DISPROPORTIONATELY BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN AND TEENS.
HEAVY RESPONDED I THINK THAT YOU LOOK AT THE FACTS AND I THINK THE SITUATIONS THAT HAVE RISEN IN THE PAST, I THINK THERE IS AN INDICATOR THAT, IN PEOPLE OF COLOR.
TARGETED MORE PERHAPS PEOPLE NOT OF COLOR.
>> SHOULD THERE BE EXCEPTIONS TO CURFEW LIKE THIS?
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU KNOW FOR YOUNG PERSON HAS A JOB FAIR AND WE'RE ALREADY ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS CURRENT I GOT A CURFEW, BOTH STATE LOCAL.
IF YOU'RE COMING FROM AN EVENT AND ORGANIZE NOVAK, IF YOU'RE COMING FROM EMPLOYMENT, THAT CETERA, THOSE DON'T THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS.
>> I MEAN, DO YOU THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD BE COULD BE ENFORCED?
NO, I I ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT ANYONE WHO THINKS THAT THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS AN TIME ON THEIR HANDS TO BE GOING IN AND CARTING KIDS.
>> WHO THEY THINK MAY BE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 FOR BEING IN VIOLATION OF THE CURFEW ORDINANCE.
THAT'S THAT'S IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> AND WHAT'S NEXT?
YOU KNOW, WERE YOU IN IN COMMUNICATION WITH ABOUT THIS PROPOSED CURFEW?
>> WE HAD, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK THAT THE POSITION THAT I KNOW OTHERS HAVE TAKEN AS WELL AS IS THE POSITION I'VE STATED IT IS LOOK AT HOLDING PARENTS RESPONSIBLE.
LOOK AT THE PRADO RESPONSIBILITY ON IS THAT WAS THE PURPOSE FOR PUTTING THAT ON TO BEGIN WITH, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY A PARENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CHILD TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE.
THERE THERE ARE BEHAVING APPROPRIATELY WITHIN SOCIETY'S NORMS.
AND I THINK THAT IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE, THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS WORK AND THEY MAY NOT KNOW.
SO I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO SOME LATITUDE.
SO THE FIRST THE CHILD IS CAUGHT THE THE TEEN GATHERING YOU KNOW ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE THEY'RE CAUSING PROBLEMS YOU WHAT THE PARENT KNOW.
HEY, LISTEN, WE CAUGHT, YOU KNOW, YOUR YOUR CHILD ENGAGING IN BEHAVIOR.
THAT WAS INAPPROPRIATE.
YOU GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE DOESN'T.
AND THE SECOND TIME, THEN THEY COULD START THE PARENT GETS.
I ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.
MORE TO COME ON THIS.
I'M SURE AS THE ULTIMATE TRY AND PUSH THIS THROUGH, IF THEY CAN.
>> JAMES WHALE'S A SOUTH WITH NEIGHBORS.
WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU.
UP NEXT, WE EXPLAIN ILLINOIS'S GUN LAWS AND THE LIMITS ON HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE.
STILL WITH US.
>> CHICAGO, TONIGHT'S COVERAGE
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