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Parents respond to Chicago teen takeovers with parent takeovers
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CHICAGO - One Chicago alderman is sounding the alarm after a recent wave of teen takeovers taking place under Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson, saying that police are "handcuffed" from stopping them.
Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, a Democrat, told Fox News Digital that the city is in for a "very long, very brutal" summer of teen takeovers and street takeovers if the mayor doesn't get a grip on the situation. He said policies in Chicago prevent police from correctly handling the teen takeovers seen in recent months.
"I do not believe that Mayor Brandon Johnson is doing enough to tamper down these activities," Lopez said. "What we have seen is Chicago has now become a destination location for illegal street takeovers like this where hundreds of youth are encouraged to descend on a location, and whether it's to do mob action, regardless of if he likes the term or not, illegal street takeovers with our vehicles or other activities that are criminal, people know to come here."
"They know they can get away with it, and they know that oftentimes our police are handcuffed themselves from stopping and interceding at these events," he said.
Lopez said that Chicago police officers are not allowed to "fully engage" with those participating in teen takeovers and do what's needed to stop them.
"We've never done what it takes to authorize our officers to fully engage with these individuals, to box them in, to corral them so that they can't escape, to arrest them, to impound their vehicles like the law requires us to do," Lopez said. "And we have never really pursued who is behind the promotions of these events on social media. We know that they are spread online through Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and others, but yet we do almost nothing to find who is at the root of those posts of these gatherings."
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Lopez's remarks come after no arrests were made at a South Side street takeover over the weekend, underscoring his complaints about a lack of accountability for organizers.
Video taken from Chicago's Gresham neighborhood over the weekend shows a large group of people surrounding a totaled car on fire. One individual was seen throwing an object into the car, engulfed in flames, which exploded seconds later.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson last week avoided using the term "takeover" in a social media post, instead warning residents of a possible "teen trend" that was set to take place on the city's South Side.
"Chicago, there are credible reports of a teen trend forming in Hyde Park later today," Johnson wrote on X. "Parents, be aware of where your children are going this evening. DO NOT allow your children to attend one of these gatherings; they are dangerous and can often turn violent."
"Together we can keep our youth and our communities safe," Johnson added.
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Video from a March 30 teen takeover showed a large crowd of people climbing on cars, crowding streets and sidewalks and dancing at intersections.
During that teen takeover, three curfew violations were issued and one 16-year-old girl was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a weapon and disorderly conduct.
Jason Hale, a resident of Chicago's Hyde Park, told Fox Chicago that his car was one of 30 vehicles damaged during a teen takeover in his area.
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"Yeah, it’s bad. The hood is messed up, terrible. A thousand worth of damage, dents everywhere, footprints everywhere," he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's office for comment.
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.