The Chicago City Council has considered but so far chosen not to give police the power to deploy curfews to disperse large gatherings, particularly those known as “teen takeovers.” We asked readers what the city should do. Here’s what you said, lightly edited for clarity:
“If they are out after curfew, take them to the police station until the parents pick them up and pay a fee.”
— Odie Chavez
“Take all the empty storefronts and make them into creative labs and studios. Have corporations fund it and hire artists, musicians, writers, tradespeople to work there (for pay) — for example, the Google Guitar Studio, the PayPal Painting Center, etc. … Kids would have someplace to go/something to do, and the storefronts would be in use.”
— Marian Nixon
“It’s clear that there’s not enough appropriate, fun and affordable evening activities for teens.”
— Sharon Rossiter
“Make a fun city. Have you ever traveled and just had fun being outside in a city, or been able to wander from somewhere to something happening without paying money? The U.S. could be like that, instead of just highways, office buildings and strip mall without sidewalks.”
— Annaliese Spalink
“Take away their drivers license for a year, second offense for three years.”
— Frank Mandros
“They should have … activities, summer job applications, live music and resources to support the events. Maybe the city should organize them rather than waiting for them to pop up. They could choose the location and prioritize safety and security for the teens and the community.”
— Robert Stucko
“Our city has minimal to zero … affordable outlets for teens whose parents may be working on weekend nights.”
— Jay Mari
“How about solutions that redirect their energy into productive members of society. … Like you can walk up to a solar panel manufacturing class in Grant Park just like you can walk up to a music festival. Think outside of the box. … Don’t condemn them.”
— Marjorie N. Woody
“Why should the city be held responsible for the parents’ job?
— Joshua M Childs
“What is a street takeover? Is it the same when a team wins and we swarm the streets in Wrigley? Is it the same as when we swarm Navy Pier in the summer?”
— Maria Gonzalez