Memorial Day violence, disorder call for a Nuisance Ordinance
If Chicago had managed to navigate the Memorial Day weekend and suffer only 23 shot, Mayor Brandon Johnson could easily have claimed another victory over crime in comparison to last year’s Memorial Day tally of five killed and 25 shot. However, what occurred in the Windy City in the last four days was not limited to the ordinary violence Chicago has grown accustomed to. On the contrary, crime enveloped the city this Memorial Day weekend.
On Saturday evening, a crowd on the Near West Side swelled to over 500 people and conditions deteriorated to a point at which several brawls broke out, people were seen jumping on cars, and private property in the area was damaged. A mob action that included a majority of teens, when Chicago Police were called to restore order, the driver of a car crashed into a group of five officers attempting to bring the crowd under control. Nearby the unrest at Loomis and Roosevelt, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the head at Randolph and Hoyne. In Little Village, a mass shooting took place in which four teenagers were shot.
The weekend of lawlessness came just days after Mayor Johnson rolled out his Summer Safety Strategy. A plan the mayor and his team unveiled with much fanfare, the principles in City Hall’s plan for the summer include youth engagement, leveraging community violence interrupters (CVIs), neighborhood investment, and gender-based violence prevention. Noticeably absent from the mayor’s plan was any mention of punishment for criminal offenders.
As “teen takeovers” grow increasingly brazen, and with the summer approaching likely to spiral out of control, Chicago is in need of penalties for those who engage in violent mob actions. Make no mistake, these public disturbances are a direct product of city leadership refusing to ensure that there are consequences for the disruption, damage to property, and the disrespect and often endangerment of police. The mayor's talk of "systemic causes" is nonsensical excuse-making.
With the probability City Hall will continue to disregard weekend violence as we head into summer, it is now in the hands of the City Council to step in and enact an ordinance that includes stiff measures for criminal activity associated with civil disturbances. Aldermen in the City Council must pass a “City Nuisance Ordinance.”
This erosion of consequences for low-level crime contributes to more serious offenses. The “Broken Windows Theory” holds that when small crimes go unpunished, it signals neglect and encourages lawlessness. Today, the damage to public and private property, petty theft, disruption of commerce, trespassing, and the harassment of first responders often go unchecked. The result? A dangerous message to young people that there are no consequences for antisocial behavior.
Take the teen takeovers, for example. The five planned takeovers were well telegraphed. While there were eight juveniles arrested in one March takeover in the Loop, most events have none and few curfew violations issued. Recent street takeovers have seen police physically confronted, cars set on fire and even explosions with no consequences. Offenders are growing increasingly bolder as the hot summer months approach.
Chicago needs a City Nuisance Ordinance, a law empowering authorities to crack down on anyone who damage property, trespass, take over public streets, disrupt commerce, threaten or interfere with public transit riders and operators, or disrupt schools and campuses. Unfortunately, offenders have grown increasingly bold, knowing they’re rarely arrested, and even if they are taken into custody, charges are most often dropped. There are few financial or legal consequences for the damage they cause.
Such an ordinance should make clear that rioting, looting, blocking traffic, physically assaulting police, or even publicly inciting such behavior can result in arrest and prosecution under charges like mob action or reckless conduct. Police would have the authority to ticket, impound vehicles, confiscate property, revoke licenses, and issue substantial fines. In cases of serious property or economic damage, the city should have the right to sue.
For minors under 18, police should be allowed to detain them until a parent or guardian arrives. Parents could be fined when their children commit property damage, disrupt commerce, or are truant from school. The temporary confiscation of vehicles or cell phones would likely serve as a strong deterrent. There is a special urgency to communicate clear consequences for the "street takeover" game (e.g., planned events, street racing); a curfew should be strictly enforced will and parents would be held responsible for their child's criminal behavior.
Chicago, as a Home Rule city, has broad legal authority to improve public safety. It can create ordinances “for the protection of public health, safety, morals, and welfare.” Alderman Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) advocated for a robust "nuisance ordinance" designed to combat crime in Chicago, primarily targeting "broken windows" offenses, teen takeovers, and property damage. However, the proposal languished in committee as former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s City Council allies blocked it from even being heard.
Proceeds from a City Nuisance Ordinance could help fund a Witness and Victim Protection Program, led by the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Detectives. This program could provide shelter and support for the most vulnerable — especially victims of domestic violence — prioritizing safe housing within every police district for women and children fleeing violence.
Doubtless, some progressive leaders will object. Nevertheless, the data is clear: Restoring consequences for lower-level offenses reduces overall crime, and it doesn’t require mass incarceration. Temporary loss of personal property and financial penalties can be an effective, proportional deterrent. Ironically, the same voices who oppose fines for lawbreakers have no issue financially punishing drivers — many of whom have harmed no one.
Compare the lax treatment for these offenders with the city’s treatment of average drivers. Red-light and speed cameras, city sticker violations, and parking fines and penalties generate more than four million tickets annually, pulling in over $345 million — more than Los Angeles and New York City combined. Thousands of residents were pushed into bankruptcy by the city’s aggressive ticketing system. A ProPublica Illinois investigation found traffic ticket debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy in Chicago, which leads the nation in Chapter 13.
Everyday Chicagoans who commit minor traffic infractions are punished far more harshly than those who damage property or endanger the public. While City Hall obsesses over ticket revenue, street takeovers continue across Chicago — from residential neighborhoods to downtown — causing mayhem with virtually no response. Where is the outrage over the blocked intersections, reckless street racing, and community disruption? Why the silence from so-called reformers?
The dramatic reduction in crime after the high-crime era of the 1970s through the early 1990s wasn’t just about having enough police, prosecutors, and judges. It was about enforcing consequences — not only for serious, violent crimes, but for quality-of-life offenses that signal whether the rule of law matters. The "Broken Windows Theory" holds that unpunished small crimes signal neglect and encourage lawlessness. When communities enforce small laws, it sets expectations that larger ones will also be upheld.
If Mayor Johnson and his progressive allies can demand aggressive enforcement of anti-smoking laws on public transit or support the installation of red-light cameras to enforce traffic laws, then the ordinary disruptions to civic order should motivate him to take the necessary steps to ensure civility prevails on the streets. A City Nuisance Ordinance would restore the expectation all lawbreaking has consequences.
A Nuisance Ordinance is not about criminalizing youth or denying people their right to protest or express themselves. It’s about restoring a culture of accountability. Respect for public space, for neighbors, for the rule of law, has to start somewhere. A nuisance ordinance is a reasonable, necessary step toward rebuilding public order in a city that desperately needs it.
