Politics
Push to Expand CPD’s Curfew Power Not Necessary, Johnson Says
Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the news media on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)
City officials can stop large gatherings of teens without expanding the Chicago Police Department’s power to impose a curfew with at least 12 hours’ notice, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday.
But the Chicago City Council should consider approving a measure designed to crack down on social media platforms used to promote the events, which can turn deadly, Johnson said.
Johnson said the fact that “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” broadcast live nationwide from the Chicago Riverwalk, training a national spotlight on the city, without incident proves that CPD does not need additional power.
“I think New Year’s Eve was a testament that we did not need an additional tool in order to ensure that our young people were where they need to be and that our parents and adults who are part of these young peoples’ lives — that they are also held accountable for their whereabouts,” Johnson said.
“The fact that we did not have an incident over New Year’s Eve without any additional tools is proof positive” that no additional measure are required, Johnson said.
Johnson and Snelling warned Dec. 29 that officers were prepared to enforce the city’s curfew on Dec. 31.
CPD officials have yet to respond to a freedom of information request filed by WTTW News on Monday to determine how many teens were cited for violating the city’s curfew on New Years’ Eve.
But Johnson said it was “worth exploring” a proposal that would require social media platforms to take down posts designed to advertise “unlawful teen gatherings” within six hours of being notified by city officials that the posts violate local laws — or explain why they didn’t take action, according to the proposal.
“I’ve always said that these big social media companies and tech companies — it’s been proven that they’ve been responsible for lots of behavior that is antithetical to a safe and affordable big city,” Johnson said.
Platforms that do not comply with the ordinance could be subject to fines of $50,000 for each offense, according to the proposal drafted by Ald. William Hall (6th Ward), a close ally of the mayor and a member of the Progressive Caucus.
If the City Council approves that measure, and attempts to enforce it, it will likely trigger a legal fight over the ability of a local government to regulate what is posted online, an area that is covered by the First Amendment and federal law, which grants online platforms immunity from liability for most content posted by their users.
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) has now tried three times to expand the power of the city’s curfew, which starts at 10 p.m. seven days a week and applies to everyone 17 years old and younger.
The proposal that Johnson opposes would allow Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling to declare a pre-emptive curfew, with at least 12 hours’ notice, before a planned mass gathering.
Snelling would only be required to consult with Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Garien Gatewood before declaring what the measure refers to as a “time and place” curfew. The curfew could last for no more than four hours, and there is no restriction on how large the area impacted could be.
Johnson said he opposed allowing one government official to unilaterally declare an expanded curfew
Johnson vetoed Hopkins’ last attempt to expand Chicago’s curfew, after it passed the City Council 27-22, calling it unconstitutional and unworkable. That plan would have allowed CPD to impose a “snap curfew,” allowing CPD to start enforcing the measure within just 30 minutes.
The proposals, set for a vote at the 10 a.m. Wednesday meeting of the Public Safety Committee, were prompted by the killing of 14-year-old Armani Floyd on Nov. 21 during a large gathering downtown after the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting. Eight others were injured in a separate shooting just blocks away.
Eighteen people were arrested or cited for curfew violations on Nov. 21.
No one has been arrested in connection with any of the shootings, a CPD spokesperson told WTTW News Monday.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
