‘Recipe for disaster': Officials brace for potential ‘teen takeover' in Chicago

After sending a letter to parents of public schools students, police are bracing for the possibility of another so-called "teen takeover" in downtown Chicago Friday.

An alert was sent to phones across the city Friday morning warning of a potential gathering at the city's Millennium Park.

"We know once these groups come downtown anything is fair game," Ald. Brian Hopkins of Chicago's 2nd Ward said. "They travel. They might go to Canal and Roosevelt and perhaps Streeterville."

The Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools are asking parents to "refrain" from allowing their children and teens to attend large, unsupervised teen "gatherings" that have recently taken place on weekends in downtown Chicago, some of which have led to led to violence, traffic disruptions and chaotic scenes.

The message was delivered in an email Thursday night to "parents and guardians of CPS students."

"Below is a message from the Chicago Police Department regarding how to keep our city’s youth safe amidst large gatherings that have been advertised recently on social media," the email began. "We urge you to read this message carefully, and thank you for your partnership as we work together to keep our city’s children safe."

Teen gatherings, often referred to as "teen takeovers," are typically advertised on social media and occur across downtown areas as the weather gets warmer. In the letter, CPS and CPD officials describe the gatherings as "unsupervised groups of teens and emerging adults from in and around Chicago gathering in the downtown area."

The heightened concerns follow recent violent incidents, including one large gathering near a popular movie theater in Streeterville that left a nearby tourist shot and injured.

Weeks later, a similar gathering took place downtown, with a 15-year-old sustaining a gunshot wound.

"To protect your children’s safety, the Chicago Police Department strongly encourages parents to refrain from allowing youth to attend these events," the letter goes on to say.

The letter also reminds parents and families of the Chicago's weekday and weeknight curfews, which range from 8:30 p.m., to 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

"Parents need to know where their kids are," Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson of Chicago's 4th Ward said. "Parents need to know where their kids are going so we actually need parents to be involved in this matter."

Some residents, neighborhood groups and city officials, including Hopkins and Robinson, have called on Mayor Brandon Johnson to institute earlier curfews.

"Tonight, the curfew is at 10 p.m. So if something happens before that we have to wait until 10 p.m. to start getting teens of the street," Hopkins said.

In response, Johnson has said earlier curfews would just shift the problem from one neighborhood to another.

"It's not like this is happening every night, every weekend," Johnson has said. "One is too many, just like one 15-year-old having access to a gun is too many. That's what the collective work of our city has to be, to ensure that we are creating not just accountability, but opportunities."

For minors 12 and older, the downtown curfew remains at 10 p.m. Millennium Park is closed to unaccompanied minors from 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday as part of a curfew put in place in 2022 by then Mayor Lori Lightfoot after a 16-year-old was shot near The Bean sculpture.

"There is no problem with them going downtown," said Ald. Nick Sposato of the 38th Ward. "It's when they are going downtown with three hundred people in a group... that's a recipe for disaster."

A vote on Hopkins' ordinance is expected later this moth in city council.

The full text of the letter from CPS and CPD can be found below.

"We know that as the weather grows warmer, Chicago’s young people will want to spend more time outside enjoying their city. Today, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) is asking for your partnership to make sure our youth stay safe and supported.

Some recent events advertised on social media have led to large, unsupervised groups of teens and emerging adults from in and around Chicago gathering in the downtown area. Last month, two shootings were associated with these gatherings. To protect your children’s safety, 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. This will be particularly important in situations where young people are walking in roadways and/or obstructing the public way. Individuals who fail to voluntarily comply with lawful police orders may be subject to arrest.

As a reminder, curfew hours for the City of Chicago are as follows:

• 10 p.m. for minors 12 and older
• 8:30 p.m. for minors younger than 12, except on Fridays and Saturdays, when the curfew is 9 p.m. 

In all instances, curfew hours remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. the following day.

As long as it is safe to do so, members of the CPD will make every attempt to educate young people on these rules and have them disperse voluntarily before enforcing curfew laws. Protective action will only be taken when a minor refuses to comply despite those efforts.

We want our young people to explore and enjoy the great city they live in. But large, unsupervised gatherings promoted on social media are not the best way to do that. Instead, we urge families to explore the many offerings available through your children’s schools, community and faith-based organizations, and city agencies like the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Library.

We thank you for your partnership as we work together to ensure our city’s youth remain happy, engaged, and above all, safe."