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Parents respond to Chicago teen takeovers with parent takeovers
People concerned about teen takeovers in Chicago are responding with what they're calling a parent takeover.
CHICAGO - Some in Hyde Park are concerned about teen takeovers happening Tuesday night.
What we know:
Fox Chicago obtained a social media post that talked about a teen takeover event that would happen starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday but it did not give an end time. It also had the words "BYOB" with a champagne bottle emoji and "BYOW" with a leaf emoji.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on social media about reports of a 'teen trend' forming in Hyde Park, and called the reports credible. He urged parents to not allow their children to attend these gatherings and warned that they are dangerous and can turn violent.
Later that evening, a group of concerned residents, parents and teachers from Hyde Park gathered outside of Sip & Savor, as part of an organized event on social media called "parent takeover."
Fox Chicago spoke with one of the organizers, Trez Pugh III, who is the founder and CEO of Sip & Savor, who is concerned about these growing teen trends.
"We need to show them that this is not cool," said Pugh. "You want to have fun go to the park go to the movie, you know, take your girl out to dinner, you don't need to be trashing people's property or jumping on cars and everything because it's just not cool."
Fox Chicago also walked with a group who heard about a potential teen takeover near Lake Michigan and the viaduct near 55th Street.
"You're seeing hundreds of kids kind of funnel through this area here. And the gathering of students and children is not a problem. We're more so here to make sure that the gathering, if they do choose to get together today, stays peaceful and stays safe," said Markeira Davis, teacher at Kenwood High School.
The backstory:
About two weeks ago, Fox Chicago obtained video that showed several teenagers around 53rd and Dorchester late Monday night, where some of them are seen stomping and walking on cars.
One resident, Jason Hale, said it lasted for hours, and his car was one of about 30 cars that were damaged.
"Yeah, it’s bad. The hood is messed up, terrible. A thousand worth of damage, dents everywhere, footprints everywhere," he said.
The incident is the latest in what police and city leaders describe as a growing trend of teen takeovers across Chicago. These gatherings, often organized on social media, have been linked to property damage, fights, injuries and, in some cases, deaths.
Hale believes a lack of guidance is part of the problem.
"Your kids should not be out here. When I was a kid, I would never. I had parents who guided me," he said. "And these parents, they just let them run rampant."
For those in Hyde Park Tuesday, like Pugh, he's worried about anyone who participates in these gatherings is not thinking about the potential consequences that could impact the rest of their lives.
"I plan on talking to a few of these young people, to let them know the things they do now can set up the trajectory of their life later on," said Pugh. "You don't want to get arrested. You don't wanna get shot or beat up or killed. You can't put that paste back into tube."
What's next:
City leaders and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, are working on a written plan to stop large teen gatherings.
They plan to exchange drafts this week and meet again next Monday.
The goal is to finalize a written plan that outlines responsibilities and response times.