Chicago’s Native and Pollinator Garden Registry is now open for applications. But before a single submission has even been accepted, an amendment to the ordinance governing the registry is already in the works.

The new proposal does not mention the city’s curfew, but gives the city’s top cop the power to issue what it calls “a dispersal declaration” in areas where police leaders have determined they have probable cause to believe there will be a “disruptive youth gathering.”

A final vote on the proposal by the full City Council could come as soon as Jan. 21.

“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,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

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.

Instead of allowing police to impose so-called “snap” curfews just 30 minutes in advance, a new plan calls for more lead time before dispersing large crowds.

The measure is the third attempt by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) to expand the Chicago Police Department’s power in an attempt to deter teens from gathering in large numbers.

CPD reported to state officials that officers made 295,846 traffic stops in 2024. But police dispatchers recorded that officers made an additional 210,622 stops in 2024 that were not documented, raising questions about how many traffic stops took place last year.

After more than five hours of debate, the Chicago City Council’s Public Safety Committee took no action on the plan, backed by Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling but opposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

A proposal to allow Chicago Police Department officials to impose a curfew anywhere in the city with just 30 minutes notice is set to face a key test Wednesday amid growing concern the measure is unworkable and unconstitutional.

So-called “teen takeovers” have been a popular trend among some young people for years, and the large gatherings are already making headlines again as summer approaches. This chaotic scene reignited a debate on the citywide curfew for unaccompanied minors with calls to change the current curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) came up with the idea following a violent attack on May 31 when a group of teenagers allegedly assaulted a couple in the Streeterville neighborhood. The man was hit in the head several times, and the woman was kicked in the stomach, which she said caused her to suffer a miscarriage.

Law enforcement officers have arrested the suspect accused of killing Chicago police Officer Luis Huesca.

More than two years after Chicago's City Council passed an ordinance creating a Native and Pollinator Garden Registry, an advisory board has finally been appointed to oversee the operation.

Supporters say the ShotSpotter system is a useful tool that helps Chicago police officers get to crime scenes faster. But critics say the technology is unreliable and contributes to over policing in communities of color.

The temporary Bally’s casino in River North’s Medinah Temple brought in just over $3 million in tax revenue last year. That’s almost $10 million short of what former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration projected.