In defiance of Chicago’s progressive mayor who proposes social justice responses to teen takeovers plaguing the city, a group of Chicago aldermen say enough is enough and want to punish parents for not supervising their kids.
Some City Council members are bringing back a previous proposal that would fine adults for their kids’ bad behavior called the Parental Accountability Ordinance, introduced by Ald. Ray Lopez, CBS reported.
But when liberal Mayor Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was asked about the idea at a press briefing on Tuesday, he voiced disapproval, saying “criminalization” does not create “safer spaces.”
“We know what criminalization does particularly for more vulnerable communities,” the mayor said. “It has not led to creating safer spaces. We have to do what works.”
The mayor wants to “invest in kids” by “giving them opportunities,” CBS reported.
However, Lopez said, “We must take action now.”
The council never voted on the original proposal.
Teen and street takeovers come in a variety of forms and have become a plague in major cities across the U.S. Most often they are staged in intersections, often creating fires, looting of stores, and dangerous stunts by speeding cars.
They are typically organized on social media and video of the events find their way onto various platforms.
In Chicago they have turned deadly, another ugly addition to an epidemic of shootings and homicides in the city for decades.
On Saturday, one takeover happened at 88th and Loomis streets; another occurred in Hyde Park on Memorial Day night that led to three teens being shot and wounded, CBS reported.
On Wednesday, Lopez was set to reintroduce the measure with changes that include much stiffer penalties.
The new ordinance would require up to 75 hours of community service for a minor who breaks curfew rules while hitting the minor’s caregiver with a $1,000 fine.
It would impose a $10,000 penalty on the parents of anyone under the age of 18 who flips a vehicle and impose the same penalty on the parents of any minor who climbs on, jumps on, or clings to other people’s cars.
“Once parents know that they’re going to be responsible, they are going to immediately start cracking down on their households and making sure they know where their children are every single day,” Lopez said.
He continued, “I think it’s going to be a very telling moment, because we always see the politicians stand up after these events and say, ‘We should do something.’ Now the question is, will they do something now that it’s in front of them?”
Veteran crime writer Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
