Once again, Chicago is struggling with so-called teen takeovers.
It has become an all-too-familiar rite of spring. As warm climes blossom, dozens, even hundreds, of young people from all over the city descend on Millennium Park and the shopping and entertainment areas downtown and near north.
The teens spread the word through social media and gather in droves. Sometimes, they create chaos, block streets, jump on cars, get into fights and harass passersby. And worse.
At a March 9 gathering, a tourist was shot near the AMC River East movie theater in Streeterville. On March 28, a 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg near North Cityfront Plaza Drive.
Elected officials such as 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins as well as civic leaders and area residents have sounded the alarm. The gatherings are getting out of control, they argue. They are demanding that the city’s standard curfew for minors be moved up to 8 p.m. from 10 p.m. downtown and near north.
Mayor Brandon Johnson says he won’t tolerate violence but has resisted those calls. “I haven’t really thought much about curfews to be honest with you,” he told reporters this month. “I think I spend more time thinking about how we actually can invest in young people and create more healthy safe spaces for them to be able to, you know, exercise their hearts’ desires and do it in a constructive way.”
Johnson and other critics of the curfew proposal say it will be ineffective and shift the problem to other neighborhoods.
Yet, there is a major voice missing in this debate. What about the parents?
Mom and dad, or guardians such as grandma and auntie, are ultimately responsible for their kids’ conduct and charged with keeping them away from destructive activities and teaching them respect.
Last week, the Chicago Police Department reminded them of that in a message to parents and guardians of Chicago Public Schools students. It asked “for your partnership to make sure our youth stay safe and supported.”
CPD noted the recent events that “have led to large, unsupervised groups of teens and emerging adults from in and around Chicago gathering in the downtown area.”
“The Chicago Police Department strongly encourages parents to refrain from allowing youth to attend these events. The CPD’s goal is to ensure public safety while maintaining peace. Therefore, in instances of large gatherings, we will use de-escalation and dispersal techniques to encourage our young people to comply with the law.”
The police warned that if individuals fail to “voluntarily comply with lawful police orders,” they may be arrested.
The missive went out to hundreds of thousands of Chicago families. I have heard little response. Where are the parents?
They know too well the truism that in spring and summer, kids get antsy. Their urge to frolic, even make mischief, swells. They want to go to a movie, hang out in a park or a mall. They want to enjoy, to their heart’s desires, the glittering attractions and lure of the big city.
Young people have a right to that. But they don’t have a right to create havoc, damage property, stoke fear, injure others. Where are their parents? Are they schooling them on that?
Many of these young people come from one-parent households, with few resources and opportunities.
Some parents work multiple jobs to stay afloat. Some live in isolation, in neighborhoods with scarce opportunities. Others are in jail or prison, have a disability or are ill-equipped to take care of their children.
Still, these youths are their children. Their responsibility. Their children need to hear from them. Caring parents should know that when young people gather randomly in large crowds, things can end badly.
Ask the parents of that 15-year-old boy who was shot amid the recent havoc? They are surely sorry they didn’t keep a closer eye on him.
Here’s another message for you, mom and dad. The next time your teen runs to a takeover, you may end up picking them up from police headquarters, visiting them in a hospital emergency room or identifying them at the morgue.
I am not here to demonize or scapegoat struggling families. Let’s hear from them. Mom and dad, what are you doing to keep your teens in line? What help do you need?
Johnson calls for more community resources. He can deploy city funds and networks to engage and educate you on ways to connect your children to productive activities and keep their children safe.
He can really get your attention — by issuing fines to you when your child is caught misbehaving.
If parents can’t keep their troublemakers in check, no one can.
Laura Washington is a political commentator and longtime Chicago journalist. Her columns appear in the Tribune each Wednesday. Write to her at LauraLauraWashington@gmail.com.
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