Chicago City Council to consider Alderman Brian Hopkins’ proposal to speed up downtown curfew for minors

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago City Council is expected to consider speeding up the curfew for downtown juveniles before summer on Wednesday.

Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins wants to move the curfew for unaccompanied minors downtown to 8 p.m. from its current time, 10 p.m.

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This comes after a couple on a date was attacked in late May by a group of teenagers in Streeterville.

Chicago police said a 40-year-old man was hit several times in the head, while his partner had her hair pulled out by a 17-year-old girl.

The woman, who was two months pregnant at the time of the attack, claims she lost her baby after the incident.

The teens were arrested and charged with assault and battery.

Hopkins says changing the curfew is just one way to help prevent and stop violence.

“It’s really hard to defend the idea of ​​a 14-year-old being out unsupervised, without adults, in the city center at 10 p.m. at night. What good can that do?” » said Hopkins.

The proposed change to the curfew comes as there have already been large gatherings of young people in the city center earlier this summer.

Most Streeterville residents ABC7 spoke with said they were in favor of an earlier curfew.

“There’s a lot going on with teenagers going out in large groups without any supervision and I think having the police be the only supervision, I don’t think that seems to work well. I don’t think that’s the case responded well by the teenagers,” said Taylor, a local resident.

The City Council will formally hear the proposal when the meeting begins at 10 a.m.