Alderman Brian Hopkins of Chicago’s 2nd Ward is set to push for a vote on a controversial proposal that would grant powerful new authority to the city’s police chief, allowing them to impose a curfew with only 30 minutes of notice.
The proposal, which has drawn both support and criticism, enables the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to issue curfews throughout the city without a clear prior request from any city agency.
This so-called “snap” provision has raised eyebrows, especially after recent statements from Police Superintendent Larry Snelling. Last week, Snelling publicly criticized the proposal’s provision for a 30-minute warning, stating he would “never use” such an authority, emphasizing that it was unfair to youth already present at any given location when a curfew is imposed.
Snelling’s remarks caught several city council members off guard, as many believed he had advocated for the ordinance. Speaking at a Tuesday news conference, Mayor Brandon Johnson went further, asserting that neither he nor anyone in his administration had sought the reduction in warning time to just 30 minutes.
“I can confirm we didn’t ask for it,” Johnson stated, highlighting a lack of consensus support for the controversial provision.
Adding to the confusion, Deputy Mayor for Community Safety, Garien Gatewood, corroborated the Mayor’s stance, asserting he also did not request the 30-minute curfew warning.
In an interview with WBEZ, Alderman Hopkins acknowledged his uncertainty regarding which official proposed the 30-minute time frame. He explained that several individuals, including the Superintendent, Deputy Mayor, and various attorneys, were involved in drafting discussions about the ordinance but could not pinpoint the origin of that specific time requirement.
“We were in a room where the superintendent was there, the deputy mayor was there, a number of attorneys were there,” Hopkins explained, trying to clarify the collaborative nature of crafting the ordinance. “I can’t remember where the 30-minute time period came from.”
During a court hearing where Snelling spoke regarding the ordinance, he clarified that while he believed police could benefit from the general curfew powers, he expressed that the 30-minute provision was unworkable. Snelling indicated he would prefer to declare curfews based on better evidence or anticipated crowds engaging in misconduct, rather than on short notice.
As of now, Alderman Hopkins is considering potential amendments to the ordinance in light of Snelling’s comments about the 30-minute provision. He suggested that any changes could specify a longer lead time—potentially up to 8 hours—to prepare for announcing a curfew.
Even with such an amendment, however, it would not remove the minimum 30-minute notice requirement.
Hopkins defended the measure, clarifying that referring to it as a “snap curfew” was misleading. He asserted that declaring a curfew based on the requirement of 30 minutes would necessitate collecting evidence indicating that a gathering of 20 or more minors is involved in or planning criminal activity. Additionally, he stated that a consultation with Deputy Mayor Gatewood would be mandatory under the proposed ordinance.
Officials would also be required to inform Chicago Public Schools and make announcements on social media positively to communicate the curfew to the youth.
“This requires consultation with the deputy mayor. It requires a series of criteria to determine there is an event planned that will have a predominance of unaccompanied minors at a given location,” said Hopkins.
Critics of the ordinance remain concerned about the implications of empowering the CPD to impose curfews with such short notice. Many advocates worry that this could lead to unfair citations for curfew violations, as communicating changes to curfews effectively within 30 minutes may not be feasible, potentially infringing on the constitutional rights of the youth targeted by such measures.
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