Disagreement on curfew shouldn't exist
Neither side is listening to the other
Undoubtedly, there is a host of Chicagoans who agree with Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins that the city should change its curfew ordinance for unaccompanied minors from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Conversely, there is likely an equal, possibly greater number who concur with Mayor Brandon Johnson about the need for greater investments, especially in terms of jobs, for young adults in Chicago, is the answer to stemming some of the shootings here.
No one is mentioning that the mayor and Hopkins could both be right.
The gaping hole in these positions is the teens themselves. Neither side is recommending that a cohort of young people be brought together and asked them to explain from their unique perspective about what is the solution to this dilemma.
Hopkins is apparently content to scorn the young people who tend to congregate downtown when the weather is nice. Additionally, he has no problem directing scornful expressions at Johnson.
The on-again-off-again curfew issue surfaced last week when a Connecticut woman was visiting with her son. She was struck by a stray bullet outside of Streeterville movie theatre. The incident reignited Hopkins’s call for action on the curfew ordinance he introduced last June that has been simmering in the city council’s Rules Committee.
Hopkins is currently in his 10th year as an alderman. The Lincoln Park resident is steadfast in his belief that the 8 p.m. curfew is the answer to curbing shootings. He amplified his opposition to Johnson’s plan “If that’s the only solution, then we might as well surrender our streets to teenagers with guns.” The alderman presents nothing empirical that a curfew of an hour earlier will serve as a deterrent to those who are hellbent on breaking the law. At best it is a political ploy aimed at appeasing his well-heeled constituency.
The mayor is resolute in his commitment to young people. His budgets have been heavy with dollars for primarily summer jobs for the youth. However, he was forced to shave the amounts due to city council opposition.
Johnson has displayed a consistent commitment to being involved and listening to youth- from his regular appearances at various schools around the city, as well as convening about 300 youth last summer at the Harold Washington Library to get their thoughts on youth-facing elements for the city budget. He makes the claim that it was the young people who propelled him to the fifth floor. To support that contention, Johnson points to the 27,000 new voters in April who didn’t come out in February, without the proof 90 percent of those voters cast their ballots for him.
Looking west to Richmond, CA. might give Johnson some additional ammunition for his position. Richmond, a much smaller city, had a proportionate gun violence issue. Leaders from government, police and the business communities joined forces and established a program that provided quality of life improvements for known shooters.
Everyone initially was paid $1,000 per month to improve their lives.
Those who were high school dropouts were required to obtain their GEDs
Anyone with a history of domestic violence had to enroll in and complete anger management courses to continue to be paid
Chronically unemployed persons were enrolled in jobs training programs to receive their monthly stipends.
Yes, shootings did drop in that city, and as the program progressed to include persons who had committed lesser crimes than the initial cohort were recruited and enrolled. Just like Richmond, Chicago needs the business community involved in this kind of effort.