CPD sends message to CPS parents on preventing teen takeovers

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department have sent a message to Chicago Public School parents asking for their help to help prevent large teen gatherings in the city.

The message was sent Thursday night to the parents of all CPS students, warning them of “teen takeover” events that have been advertised recently on social media.

Last month, two shootings were associated with these gatherings.

In the message, CPD thanks parents for their partnership in working together to keep city children safe, especially as the weather gets warmer and young people are spending more time outside.

In instances of large gatherings, police say they will use “de-escalation and dispersal techniques” to encourage people to leave, especially when blocking roadways.

But anyone who fails to listen will be arrested, according to police.

Read CPD’s full message to CPS parents below:

To the Parents/Guardians of CPS Students:

We know that as the weather grows warmer, Chicago’s young people will want to spend more time outside enjoying their city. Today, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) is asking for your partnership to make sure our youth stay safe and supported.

Some recent events advertised on social media have led to large, unsupervised groups of teens and emerging adults from in and around Chicago gathering in the downtown area. Last month, two shootings were associated with these gatherings. To protect your children’s safety, the Chicago Police Department strongly encourages parents to refrain from allowing youth to attend these events.

The CPD’s goal is to ensure public safety while maintaining peace. Therefore, in instances of large gatherings, we will use de-escalation and dispersal techniques to encourage our young people to comply with the law. This will be particularly important in situations where young people are walking in roadways and/or obstructing the public way. Individuals who fail to voluntarily comply with lawful police orders may be subject to arrest.

As a reminder, curfew hours for the City of Chicago are as follows:

• 10 p.m. for minors 12 and older
• 8:30 p.m. for minors younger than 12, except on Fridays and Saturdays, when the curfew is 9 p.m.

In all instances, curfew hours remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. the following day.

As long as it is safe to do so, members of the CPD will make every attempt to educate young people on these rules and have them disperse voluntarily before enforcing curfew laws. Protective action will only be taken when a minor refuses to comply despite those efforts.

We want our young people to explore and enjoy the great city they live in. But large, unsupervised gatherings promoted on social media are not the best way to do that. Instead, we urge families to explore the many offerings available through your children’s schools, community and faith-based organizations, and city agencies like the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Library.

We thank you for your partnership as we work together to ensure our city’s youth remain happy, engaged, and above all, safe.
The Chicago Police Department