The Chicago City Council Public Safety Committee on Wednesday advanced a bid by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) to try to stop large gatherings of teens downtown, known as "teen takeovers," by authorizing the Chicago Police Department to impose temporary curfews with at least 12 hours' notice.

The committee voted 10-4 to approve an ordinance that would allow Police Supt. Larry Snelling to declare a temporary "time-and-site curfew" if the department determines a large gathering "is likely to result in substantial harm to the safety of the community or others, or substantial damage to property, or substantial injuries to a person, including participants, or in a manner that otherwise presents or causes, or in a manner that is likely to present or cause, substantial harm to public health, safety or welfare."

Such "time-and-site curfews" could be declared in any area of the city, but could last no more than four hours. Snelling would be required to consult with the city's deputy mayor for community safety before declaring such curfews.

"The only thing this does is provide needed flexibility for a start time of the effective time and place curfew to make more sense based on the conditions on the ground," Hopkins said.

It's Hopkins' latest effort to expand CPD's curfew powers over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has argued that the city's current 10 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18 who is unaccompanied by an adult is sufficient.

The mayor has argued that the fact the city's televised New Year's Eve celebrations along the Chicago River took place without incident is "proof positive" that CPD doesn't need additional curfew powers.

"I support curfews, that's what we instituted on New Years Eve," he said Tuesday. "I've never been opposed to a curfew for teenagers. What I've been opposed to is to have unilateral control offered into one entity of government to determine if a curfew should be implemented." 

In July, Johnson vetoed Hopkins' attempt to allow CPD to enforce so-called "snap curfews" with as little as 30 minutes' notice, calling it "lazy governance." Hopkins and his allies were unable to get the 34 votes needed to override the mayor's veto.

"We cannot afford lazy governance, and then we just wash our hands, absolve ourselves of any responsibility, and say, 'Police, you do it.' That is antiquated. That form of governance is dead, and should remain dead," the mayor said at the time.

Hopkins' latest bid to expand CPD's curfew powers was prompted by the shooting death of 14-year-old Armani Floyd on Nov. 14 during a large teen gathering in the Loop following the city's annual Christmas tree lighting at Millennium Park. Eight other teens were also shot that night in a separate attack just blocks away.

In addition to the curfew expansion advanced on Wednesday, the Public Safety Committee also discussed a proposal sponsored by Ald. William Hall (6th) that would require social media platforms to take down posts advertising large teen gatherings if the city determines that they are "promoting imminent unlawful activity and a public safety threat."

Social media platforms would be required to remove such posts within six hours of being notified by the city, or explain why they have determined the post does not pose a danger. Failure to comply with the requirements of the ordinance could result in a fine of up to $50,000.

However, the committee held off on a vote on that measure, after several aldermen raised concerns about the enforceability of such requirements, and questioned why the city wouldn't also go after individuals responsible for such social media posts, rather than the platforms where they're posted.

Hall and Hopkins, who also supports that measure, said they would consult with the Johnson administration and the city's Law Department to make possible changes to the ordinance before calling for a vote.