5:01 p.m.
At a post-council press conference, Mayor Brandon Johnson announces that he will veto the approved “snap curfew” ordinance.
“It is counterproductive to the progress that we’ve made in reducing crime violence in our city. It would create tensions between residents and law enforcement at a time when we have worked so hard to rebuild that trust,” Johnson said. “We have made significant progress in our compliance with the consent decree, and now is not time to introduce new measures that could undermine those hard fought gains.”
Tonia Hill is reporting on this story. Updates to come.
4:55 p.m.
Reporters are awaiting Mayor Brandon Johnson’s post-council media availability.
We’ll update this article once the press conference begins.
3:40 p.m.
Here is a breakdown of the roll-call vote for the “snap curfew” ordinance.
Ald. Emma Mitts was not in chambers during the vote.
Mayor Brandon Johnson could veto; however, he hasn’t spoken on the issue yet. The City Council meeting is still ongoing.
Ald. Jason Ervin, who also was a co-sponsor of the ordinance, gave final remarks before the roll-call vote.
“This is something that is unneeded,” he said. “Public safety is more than just the police department.”
Right after his comments, Johnson opened the floor for the vote. The ordinance passed 27-22.
The Chicago Progressive Caucus is encouraging Johnson to veto.
3:35 p.m.
Just after 3:30 p.m., the Chicago City Council voted 27-22 to pass the controversial “snap curfew” ordinance.
3:20 p.m.
More alders are taking their time to comment on the “snap curfew” debate before the roll-call vote.
Ald. Anthony Napolitano called the discussion a great debate. He described himself as a “downtown kid” who had the ability to travel to and enjoy downtown Chicago.
In support of the ordinance, he then echoed Ald. Monique Scott’s comments, saying he doesn’t allow his kids to go downtown either.
“But what worries me here is we’re all seeing the exact same thing happen on TV every weekend, and it’s getting out of control. It’s getting worse every week, and I believe the spirit here is we’re looking to create something that could maybe make it a little bit better and our city a little bit safer,” he said. “And what I like this ordinance is this is not a blanket curfew.”
Ald. Stephanie Coleman responded to Ald. Andre Vasquez, who spoke earlier about CPD Supt. Larry Snelling’s competing statements on the ordinance. She hinted at him being misquoted, but didn’t specify which of his quotes was misrepresented in the media.
“And I just want to say, in his absence, and also his alderman’s absence, I know commander Snelling, I know lieutenant Snelling, deputy Snelling, and now superintendent Snelling. What he says [is] he means,” Coleman said. “I just want to make it very clear on record that he is a man of integrity. So what he says, he’s not going to switch it up to us. Thank you so much.”
3:00 p.m.
Ald. Jessie Fuentes said she’s going to vote “no” on the “snap curfew” ordinance today.
“I’m proof of concept that when we invest in all young people, radically love people, and when we give them opportunities to lead, they can be agents of changing our city,” Fuentes said. “I’m an alder person that has a juvenile record, an early adult record. I wasn’t always the best community organizer and activist… [I was] 16 years old when I first had my final encounter with the juvenile justice system.”
Fuentes also added, “We are all invested in our public safety. We just believe in two different routes to get there.”
2:50 p.m.
Ald. Angela Clay is among the last speakers. She does not support the “snap curfew” ordinance.
She said the council is too afraid to have conversations about the true root problems that lead to the issues of tend trends, such as access to guns.
“I think I’ve taken away a couple of things conversation. Number one, this body does care a lot about public safety. All of us here want to make sure that no matter what ward you reside in… that your babies have access to great resources and that you are also able to flourish as a business,” she said.
Clay also talks about how she and her friends took the Red Line downtown to enjoy the city.
“I also find it a little funny that we never talk about these tools outside of the context when our young people don’t look like Black and brown you. It bothers me that we have a room full of young people back here, and nobody has asked them their opinion on this issue.”
2:30 p.m.
Other alders who have spoken out in support of the “snap curfew” ordinance proposal are:
- Ald. David Moore
- Ald. Monique Scott
- Ald. Derrick Curtis
- Ald. Pat Dowell
Scott spoke about being a single mother to a 17-year-old girl.
“I refuse to allow my 17-year-old daughter —who is being reared by a single mom myself, that has a full ride to Stanford [University] — go downtown, because I want her to come home to me safely and alive,” Scott said.
She continued, “Because the streets are not safe for her, and we’re arguing because these are not the regular kids like my daughter who can go downtown and Mayor, like your son who can go downtown, your daughter and your sons. These are children that are wreaking havoc. These are children that are shooting tourists. These are kids that are stomping on cars.”
Dowell referenced the mayor’s remarks earlier this week, in which he critiqued the “snap curfew” ordinance proposal as lazy governance.
“Either you’re for the curfew or you’re against the curfews,” Dowell said. “I’m not down here doing lazy governance. I’m down here to activate, work and do what is necessary to protect my community, uplift and the entire city of Chicago.”
Dowell is a co-sponsor of the ordinance. She is Johnson’s appointed finance committee chair.
2:15 p.m.
Ald. David Moore is speaking. He said he supports the ordinance. He also read notes that he said comes from a petition circulated by Urban Prep students.
“They said that they want a youth focused outreach and early notification system,” Moore said. “This is from the youth voices. We proposed the development of a city wide digital alert system that sends out curfew reminders and community updates through SMS, social media and school communication apps, these alerts should be youth friendly and informative, helping teens make responsible choices and avoid landing conflict with law enforcement. Number two, they wanted to expand after school and evening programming, rather than pushing teens out of public spaces.”
2:00 p.m.
City Council is now discussing the “snap curfew” ordinance proposal.
“I’m confident that some of what I’m about to say has the full support of all 50 of us. We are all 100% on the same page when I say that we’ve seen the videos of the events that inspired this ordinance, and no one here is OK with that,” Ald. Brian Hopkins said during his introduction of the ordinance. He’s the lead sponsor of the ordinance.
“And again, I think we all agree when those moments happen, when all attempts at intervention and prevention do not work for whatever reason, and you have 200 plus teenagers taking over an area, kicking busses, blocking traffic, running into the stores, throwing things around, lighting fireworks and, God forbid, shooting guns, which happened twice so far this year in my ward, when it gets out of control, we must stop it. We can’t sit back and watch it happen. We can’t just go ‘well, let it run out of its energy on its own volition.’ We have to stop it. We must take steps to stop it,” Hopkins continued.
1:15 p.m.
The Chicago Progressive Caucus has sent out a letter addressed to Mayor Brandon Johnson ahead of the “snap curfew” vote.
In the letter, they express their “strong opposition” to the proposed ordinance and urge Johnson “to veto this measure should it pass.”
“Now is the time to double down on strategies that lift up our youth, build stronger community ties, and prioritize public health and safety over criminalization,” the letter reads. “We urge you, Mr. Mayor, to make it clear that Chicago will not return to failed models of policing. Should this ordinance be adopted by the Council, we respectfully and firmly ask that you use your authority to veto it.”
— Tonia Hill
11:30 a.m.
This morning, Chicago City Council members, legal experts, and youth hosted a press conference ahead of today’s city council meeting to urge members to vote “no” on a revised youth curfew ordinance that, if approved by alders,experts, would give the Chicago Police superintendent sole authority to enact a “snap curfew” with a 30-minute notice.
Youth and criminal justice advocates instead are asking for increased investment in youth jobs and programming. They see the “snap curfew” as a violation of youth’s constitutional rights and believe it could lead to Black and brown teens being penalized more harshly.
“Our kids are bored. They come out here on these teen trends because they’re bored. There’s no proper resources in our community that has given them a free way to be a child without being surveilled, without being criminalized,” GoodKids MadCity (GKMC) organizer Reynia Jackson said during today’s press conference.
She also reiterated the need for GKMC’s Peace Book Ordinance, which calls for the police budget to be reallocated to community-run services such as violence interruption, education, mental health programs, youth employment and more. GKMC also runs a summer peacekeeping program.
Today’s presser follows comments made last week by Chicago Police Department (CPD) Supt. Larry Snelling, who told a federal judge that the controversial tool is “not something that I asked for or that I need,” WBEZ reported.
“It is clear, and if I’m being nice, there’s a miscommunication or misunderstanding,” Ald. Andre Vasquez said, referring to Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) and Snelling. Hopkins is the leading sponsor of the proposed ordinance.
Vasquez added that he’s voting “no” on the ordinance.
“If CPD is saying they couldn’t use it, they’re not asking for it, and yet alders are looking to continue to push it, they’re only doing it out of political expediency. They want to look and tell you that they’re doing something, but it’s not solving the problem at all. Trying to kick people out of a location in a city that’s already segregated doesn’t create community. It doesn’t build anything,” Vasquez said.
Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward) reiterated comments made by CPD Supt. Larry Snelling who said publicly that the “snap curfew” is not a tool that he wants or needs. Taylor also mentioned how if applied incorrectly by police could result in police additional misconduct settlements.
Speakers uplifted the Peace Book Ordinance, a youth-led, preventative approach to public safety. They also spoke about the Peace Book Pilot, which trained 101 youth in peacebuilding last summer, and previewed this year’s expansion to 210 participants citywide.
Mayor Brandon Johnson also spoke out firmly against the proposed ordinance during his weekly press availability on Tuesday.
Those present for today’s press conference include: Alders Daniel La Spata (1st Ward), Desmon Yancy (5th Ward), Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward), Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward), Michael Rodriguez (22nd Ward), Byron Sigcho–Lopez (25th Ward), Anthony Quezada (35th Ward); Abierre Minor, a commissioner with Community Commission for Police Safety and Accountability; GoodKids MadCity youth organizer Reynia Jackson; members of the Chicago Teachers Union and the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.
Today’s City Council meeting is underway. This is a developing story.
— Tonia Hill
10:57 a.m.
The public comment portion of City Council just ended.
Jewish Council On Urban Affairs’ Youth Leadership Coordinator Talia Yaari spoke and urged City Council to vote “no” on the “snap curfew” ordinance. She called the tool “overly punitive and reactionary.”
“It criminalizes them for existing,” she explained. “I urge you to prioritize community-based initiatives.” She mentioned youth programs hosted by GoodKids MadCity and My Block, My Hood, My City.
10:30 a.m.
Public comment has begun at the Chicago City Council meeting. Each person has 30 seconds to speak. Several people are calling in to speak on the “snap curfew” debate.
Sheffield Neighborhood Association’s vice president, Rachel Gross, called in to speak. She said her association supports the “snap curfew.”
The takeovers “have become a safety issue” for residents and moms, she said. “There’s got to be a way that we can keep them safe while keeping the community safe.
Gross also added,“if we use it and see I as a preventive measure,” speaking about the controversial tool, “I don’t see how it can be anything other than hopefully successful.”
You can tune in to the City Council meeting here.
10:00 a.m.
Today, the Chicago City Council is scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would give the Chicago Police superintendent sole authority to enact a “snap curfew” with a 30-minute notice.
At a court hearing last week, Supt. Larry Snelling told a federal judge that the controversial tool is “not something that I asked for or that I need,” WBEZ reported.
9:30 a.m.
Organizers and alders such as Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward) gathered outside Chicago City Hall for a press conference to “reject racist, unconstitutional snap curfew ordinance.”
TRiiBE reporter Tonia Hill is on the scene. We’ll update this article with details about this presser shortly.
