Chicago Lawmakers Draft Parent Liability Ordinance After Teen Takeover Injures 5 Officers
Updated
Updated · NBC Chicago · May 25
Chicago Lawmakers Draft Parent Liability Ordinance After Teen Takeover Injures 5 Officers
8 articles · Updated · NBC Chicago · May 25
Five Chicago police officers were hospitalized after an 18-year-old allegedly drove into them during an early Sunday teen takeover near Roosevelt and Loomis; all were listed in fair condition.
City Council members, led by Alderman Brian Hopkins, are now drafting an ordinance to help police pursue parents of teens arrested at illegal gatherings past curfew, building on existing delinquency laws.
Hopkins said the crowd included many underage youths and that some injured officers suffered broken bones after being hit by a car traveling roughly 20 to 30 mph.
Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the weekend violence and called for parental accountability, but stopped short of backing the proposed ordinance outright.
The push comes as Chicago confronts a violent holiday weekend that also included several shootings, among them a mass shooting in Little Village.
Can making parents liable for teen crimes survive legal challenges and curb Chicago's street violence?
Beyond punishing parents, how will Chicago stop the dangerous street takeovers that attract its youth?