Residents of Evanston’s 8th Ward are wondering whether they’ll face more problems from rowdy young people this summer now that Chicago’s earlier curfew for teenagers is going into effect.
The new Chicago ordinance is effective on Saturday and it means minors will have to be off the streets a half hour earlier in Chicago than in Evanston.
The new Chicago be-home hour for youths 17 and younger will be 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 p.m. the rest of the week.
Residents just north of the Howard Street city limits have frequently seen groups of teens crossing back and forth across the city border in the past, and Evanston police frequently report encountering Chicago teens on calls to break up disturbances in south Evanston.
Evanston aldermen haven’t yet acted to amend our town’s curfew rules to match the Chicago change.
Curfews must match
Bill, as a resident of a 100 block, I’m not wondering if Chicago’s new curfew will have an effect on problems in my neighborhood — I know it will. I invite you to spend a warm spring evening in my living room as the large, roving packs of junior thugs make their way north from the house parties that the police have broken up across Howard, causing havoc along the way. In fact, the first night the curfew was in effect there was already an incident:
Battery 100 Block Callan
03/22/08 2321 hrs 08-08733
EPD was dispatched to area for a large fight. Upon arrival EPD located victim who stated he was struck in the face by unknown offender. Victim uncooperative.
The city must enact a revised curfew to match Chicago’s. But more importantly, it must start really enforcing the one we already have.
Curfew update
Hi Rachel,
Word now is that the city’s Human Services Commitee will consider revisions to Evanston’s curfew ordinance to bring it in line with the new Chicago ordinance when the committee meets at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 7, in Room 2402 at the Civic Center. You may want to be there if you can.
Bill
What’s the Problem Here?
For a long time, the city and the council have resisted a 10 p.m. weeknight and 11 p.m. weekend curfew for teens and I simply CANNOT understand it. Why is this even a point of discussion, especially now that Chicago has set the standard. We in the 8th ward will absolutely get more teens over here unless we line up the curfews. Even with the curfew, we’re going to have to harrange on the police to enforce it, break up roving mobs of teens, and send them home. But at least we’ll have a law on the books to justify the action. We have 10 year olds roaming around at midnight, for God’s sake. And these kids get LOUD after 10 p.m., depriving people of sleep and peace.
Did anyone think that for parents who are having trouble disciplining their teens (and goodness knows, this is a challenge faced by parents of all economic and social levels these days) that a stricter curfew is also a great way to let someone else (the city) be the bad guy when trying to rein in a wayward kid on weekdays and especially weekends? These days, 15 year olds think they are mature enough to stay out until 1 or 2 a.m. on weekends. They are not. The curfew would end that parent-teen discussion immediately.
I can tell you this: if a youth 17 years old or younger is out on the streets after 10 p.m . on a weeknight without a parent, or after 11 p.m. on a weekend night, they are not engaging in any activities that are positive for themselves or the neighborhood. A new, stricter curfew should be a no-brainer decision.
I do wish Evanston would have
I do wish Evanston would have a weekday curfew for 11-14 year olds at 9p, and weekends at 10p. There is NO reason a child those ages needs to be walking or “hanging” out. They need to be home!