CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Not only is Mayor Lightfoot taking action to restrict when unaccompanied young people can be in Millennium Park, she’s also taking action to move back the city’s weekend curfew.
Mayor Lightfoot said that young people under 18 will not be allowed in Millennium Park without a responsible adult after 6 p.m., Thursday through Sunday and the weekend curfew for young people is being moved back to 10 p.m. It’s all in response to Saturday’s killing of 16-year old Seandell Holliday near “The Bean.”
“We have to end this pipeline of young people to the graveyard,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot said she understands the desire by teenagers to go out and have fun, but she said they need to do it responsibly.
“It gives me no pleasure to impose these rules and restrictions, but having exhausted every other opportunity, every other tool and remedy, we’ve got to go to this next step,” Lightfoot said.
And the mayor has a message to parents, who she said are responsible for teaching their children respect and decency.
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“Parents, guardians, you cannot just send your children out into the streets, no matter the destination, without knowing where they are going, who they are with, and making sure that there’s a responsible adult with them,” Lightfoot added.
The mayor said parents have to step up and know where their children are going and with whom.
“It’s extremely distressing to learn that pre-teens, as young as 10, 11, 12 years-old have been coming downtown by themselves at night. That’s simply not smart and it’s definitely not safe,” said Lightfoot.
Lightfoot said she does not think young people will just choose another place to gather if Millennium Park is off limits at night. She said the aim is to educate and get compliance without having to use the heavy hand of the law.
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