Should US Cities Impose Summer Curfews on Teens?

[ProfD]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/04/16/brian-hopkins-8-pm-downtown-curfew-city-council-vote

 

In America's favorite punching bag city when it comes to violence, a Chicago alderman brought forth legislation that would allow police to impose targeted curfews whenever teens gather and/or get rowdy.

 

We can already surmise these curfews would be imposed in and disproportionately affect Black neighborhoods.

 

Let's see what Mayor Brandon Johnson does of anything to circumvent such a thing.

 

Other cities are considering summer curfews too. Helluva way to welcome young folks to their break from school.

[Pioneer1]

It won't help because just like "laws" don't stop career criminals from breaking them....curfews won't stop juvenile delinquents from ignoring them.

The "good" kids will obey them and stay at home.
The rowdy kids will carry on business as usual.
Infact, a imposing a curfew on them will ENCOURAGE them to challenge it to show eachother how "bad" they are.


What kind of lame ass nigga go stay at home on a hot summer night anyway...lol.
 

 

"Hey girl, what you doing?"
----------
"No, I'm at home."
-------------
"Yeah....I'm....yeah...no...I'm at the crib".
-------------
"Ah girl you KNOW I want to but the news said that if you're under 17 you have to be -HELLO????
HELLO???"
((dial her back))
"Hey, did you hang up on m-HELLO?????  HELLO???"
 

 

 

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

....curfews won't stop juvenile delinquents from ignoring them.

The "good" kids will obey them and stay at home.
The rowdy kids will carry on business as usual.
Infact, a imposing a curfew on them will ENCOURAGE them to challenge it to show eachother how "bad" they are.

These curfews would be used arbitrarily when police want to disperse a rowdy group of juveniles.

 

OTOH, it won't be applied to rowdy sports fans acting a fool after a game. 

 

My concern would be when, where and to whom the curfews would be applied.

[Pioneer1]

7 hours ago, ProfD said:

 

My concern would be when, where and to whom the curfews would be applied.

I think you already know the answer to those questions, stop playing....lol.

 

[ProfD]

4 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

I think you already know the answer to those questions, stop playing....lol.

Oh yeah. We definitely know which teens will be targeted. I'm just curious to see how Black mayors are going to handle it.

[Troy]

a snap curfew as described an article seems difficult to implement. It was not clear to me what you rules would be used so it also seems somewhat arbitrary. 
 

And as you all have indicated whenever arbitrary rules are in place, they are leveled disproportionately against Black people.

 

Apparently, they are trying to deal with crime and murders, I’m not in Chicago and if I were there and effected, I’d probably be open to I’m trying it. 
 

If you ever lived in a crime with neighborhood, you’re not really too worried about civil liberties you just wanna be safe.

[aka Contrarian]

In Chicago, there already was a 10 o'clock curfew in effect and  the issue was whether or not to change it to 8 o'clock. That's my understanding.  

Nobody benefits from the curfews more than the kids, themselves, because they are the ones carrying guns and shooting each other.

Almost EVERY day  a young black person becomes a victim of gun shot wounds. Even ones sitting inside of their homes.

Nothing seems to deter this crime.

Not only are babies having babies, but now it's babies killin babies.

There are after school programs and neighborhood watch groups and church involvement but the beat goes on...

 

 

[ProfD]

25 minutes ago, aka Contrarian said:

In Chicago, there already was a 10 o'clock curfew in effect and  the issue was rather or not to change it to 8 o'clock. That's my understanding.  

Nobody benefits from the curfews more than the kids, themselves, because they are the ones carrying guns and shooting each other.

Nothing seems to deter this crime.

IMO, the curfew might prevent a few innocent young people from getting shot but it will not put a dent in shootings related to gang activity and street business.   

 

If law enforcement was serious about getting the murder rate down in cities, they would start by rounding up the gang-bangers and locking them up. 

 

The current administration is already providing the blueprint for such a thing with immigration.  I hear the borders are relatively bare nowadays.

 

Flood the streets of Chicago with police, ICE agents and US marshals for about one month.  Problem solved. 

 

As I've mentioned before, the reality is there's no money in the cure.  It's all about acceptable risk/loss and maintenance of societal ills. 

 

So many agencies and businesses i.e. law enforcement, judicial system, hospitals, funeral homes, etc., thrive on human dysfunction. 

 

From locking people up to patching wounds or burying them in the ground, so many folks are getting paid to maintain the status quo.

[aka Contrarian]

@ProfDthese swarmimg kids vandalizing  the down town loop area in Chicago  are costing the city not  only money but prestiege. It is bad for tourism and Chicago's reputation as a world class city and it discourages merchants from wanting to locate their stores in this business district. 

It seems the school-aged  kid shootings are individualized and more about bullying and grudges than gang banging.

  Black gangs in Chicagoland are very fragmented, and disputes are mostly about drug turfs.

The Hispanic Gangs are more organized and  widespread.

 

Robbery, burglary  and car jackings make up most of the crimes.

 

[ProfD]

37 minutes ago, aka Contrarian said:

@ProfDthese swarmimg kids vandalizing  the down town loop area in Chicago  are costing the city not  only money but prestiege. It is bad for tourism and Chicago's reputation as a world class city and it discourages merchants from wanting to locate their stores in this business district. 

It seems the school-aged  kid shootings are individualized and more about bullying and grudges than gang banging.

Gotcha.  Unruly kids causing chaos and mayhem and violence costing lives and revenue is a different kettle from the regular gang and street culture.

 

Because I'm an old man, my recollection of kids was young people who ran around playing games and occasionally getting into a scuffle or a beef.  No gun or knives though.  We had a certain level of fear when it came to our parents too.

 

Apparently, these school-aged terrorists weren't scared straight early on in their lives.  i see the overly emotional young folks with no problem-solving skills. 

 

As a result, if/when conflicts arise, they are playing for keeps or less from severe bodily injuries to death.  It is ridiculous. 

 

The truth is that a curfew won't fix it.  They need better parents.  The crash dummies giving birth to them deserve all the blame and smoke. 

[Pioneer1]

If the police and criminal justice system actually DID THEIR JOBS...there would be no need for a teenage curfew.
 

For example......

Most people of a community KNOW where kids and young adults like to hang out and party and act a fool.
The police presence should already BE there or very close to intercept problems before they get out of hand.

But instead of being where the crowds are, you'll find most police cruisers sitting in some parking lot of a fast food joint miles away in a quiet neighborhood WAITING on a call.

Every Memorial Day weekend the national media focuses on Chicago and how many homicides they anticipate.
It's become a national ritual.
Infact, in many private circles BETS are taken over how many people are killed and how many shooting (non-fatal) will occur over the weekend.

They're not trying increase the safety of the public.
They're LETTING it happen.
 

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

If the police and criminal justice system actually DID THEIR JOBS...there would be no need for a teenage curfew.

Facts. 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

...you'll find most police cruisers sitting in some parking lot of a fast food joint miles away in a quiet neighborhood WAITING on a call.

Some police officers are parked in neighborhoods or driveways away from where they live. They'll be in someone's home eating a meal or getting a massage and a happy ending or laying up.

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

They're not trying increase the safety of the public.
They're LETTING it happen.

Yep. I beiieve there's complicity among law enforcement allowing dysfunction to play out in communities.

[Troy]

4 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

Infact, in many private circles BETS are taken over how many people are killed and how many shooting (non-fatal) will occur over the weekend.

The Afro newspaper publishes the weekly murder rates for both DC and Baltimore on the front page. I always wondered about that because I know people are betting on this.
 

 

[Pioneer1]

ProfD

 

 

Some police officers are parked in neighborhoods or driveways away from where they live. They'll be in someone's home eating a meal or getting a massage and a happy ending or laying up.
 

This is true...I've OBSERVED this personally.

But ofcourse it's only anecdotal, so don't expect to find any studies or official stats on how many cops are screwing citizens and eating free food while on duty...lol.


 

Yep. I beiieve there's complicity among law enforcement allowing dysfunction to play out in communities
 

It's almost common knowledge.
Almost as commonly known as them bringing dope in to destabilize the community.

 

 

 

Troy
 

The Afro newspaper publishes the weekly murder rates for both DC and Baltimore on the front page. I always wondered about that because I know people are betting on this.
 
Not sure about DC and Baltimore but among certain circles in Western Michigan it's just like playing the regular lottery.

They'll bet on the EXACT number of official homicides over the weekend.
They'll also bet on "close to" the number.
They'll bet on how many got shot and both died AND lived.
 

They do this in work spaces AND in bars.
It's mostly White dudes doing it but what's even crazier is some silly Black folks will even get in on those bets even though it's at the expense of the destruction of their own.