Resolving to avoid another violent holiday-season “teen takeover,” Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday set a New Year’s Eve curfew for young people who head downtown without adult supervision for the city’s nationally televised festivities.
The mayor and police Supt. Larry Snelling implored parents to “know where your children are” to help the city avoid a repeat of the chaos that followed hundreds of teenagers who flocked to the Loop after last month’s Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. Nine teens were shot, one fatally, when large gatherings devolved into violence Nov. 21.
Johnson and Snelling promised a heightened police presence for the “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” spectacle that’ll take over the Riverwalk Wednesday night.
But keeping the peace will largely come down to family communication, Johnson said during a press conference at the West Loop headquarters of the Office of Emergency Management & Communications.
“We want our young people to experience this event and the best of our city along with us, and we are encouraging families to make a plan with their children and teens,” Johnson said. “Parents: talk to your children about their plans, and help them identify a safe place where they can go if they get separated from the group and a safe route home.”
The curfew will go into effect downtown at 10 p.m. for anyone under 18 without adult supervision.
Snelling said many of the teens who have come downtown for big events have been doing “the right thing, and they’re enjoying themselves and they’re responsible.
“But then we have young people who show up, and they’re down there for the purpose of causing problems, disrupting and using disruptive behavior,” Snelling said, asserting his department “will be on top of this.”
“There will be no loitering in these areas. We’ll make sure that we keep people moving along. Our officers will be policing responsibly and constitutionally, but they will also be on the lookout for anything that could cause anyone harm, and we will act upon that immediately,” he said.
The downtown party — broadcast on ABC and co-hosted by Chance the Rapper — will take place along the Chicago River from Franklin Street east to Columbus Drive, capped by a midnight fireworks show blasted from the bridges.
In addition to a massive police presence, the city is deploying outreach workers along the Riverwalk to offer directions, guide people to public transportation and “help calm situations that may feel unsafe or overwhelming,” Johnson said. CTA bus and train rides will be free from 10 p.m. Wednesday through 4 a.m. Thursday.
While the focus is downtown, “we’re going to be highly visible throughout the entirety of the city,” Snelling said of his officers. “We will also be in every single neighborhood across the city, as we know that New Year’s Eve can be a dangerous time when people are not responsible.”
Last month’s “teen takeover” was just the latest in a long string of fiascoes to reignite the long-running debate over how to deal with the problems that often come with large groups of unsupervised young people in the Loop.
Some City Council members have pushed to authorize police to declare curfews with 30 minutes’ notice in order to tamp down chaotic scenes.
Johnson, who vetoed such a measure over the summer, has emphasized creating more jobs and recreational opportunities as outlets for young people on the South and West sides of the city, where resources are scant.
“Those acts of violence and terror that have disrupted our city, and quite frankly, set our city back — it’s not only upsetting, but it enhances our determination to continue to get it right,” Johnson said.
“We’re asking parents who may not be as diligent as most parents already are, to just know where their children are,” the mayor added.
While an unseasonably mild Christmas weekend saw 28 people shot across the city, violent crime has dropped precipitously this year, putting Chicago on pace for its lowest homicide total in about a decade.
“As we close out of one of the most transformative years of violence reduction in our city’s history, we want to finish this year safe and strong,” Johnson said. “This celebration belongs to our entire city.”
Wednesday night could bring snow, with a low of 14 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The free downtown New Year’s Eve celebration will open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, with event entrances on Wacker at Wells or Lake streets. There will be security screenings, with bags required to be 12” x 6” x 12” or smaller.
Big-screen displays will also be set up on Wacker between Lake and Wells. The best fireworks views will be from Upper Wacker Drive, officials said.
Most road closures along Wacker will start Wednesday morning. Franklin was closed from Lake Street to Wacker Monday morning.