Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Police Department has issued a new directive encouraging police officers to not arrest children.

The directive focuses on adopting “developmentally appropriate” approaches when dealing with youths in various situations.

“New @Chicago_Police directive saying youth should not be arrested ... encouraging officers to avoid taking youths and children into secure custody unless no other effective alternatives exist,” Sub X News said on X.

The directive, aimed at handling children under the age of 13, is effective as of Dec. 29.

Key points of the directive include encouraging officers to exercise discretion by utilizing alternatives to arrest and referral to court.

These alternatives include issuing warnings, providing guidance and offering referrals to community and social services such as mental health, drug treatment, mentoring, counseling organizations, educational services and other agencies.

“This directive provides general guidance for Department members for interacting in a developmentally appropriate manner with youths and children and more specifically with youths and children who are victims, witnesses, offenders, in crisis, and youths and children who have been reported missing, located, or found,” the directive reads.

“The over-arching goal is to minimize harm to the youths and children, while protecting public safety. Informing Department members of alternatives to arrest while connecting at-risks youths and children to diversion services as part of an integrated approach for community safety.”

The directive was issued despite ongoing "teen takeover" riots over the spring and summer, which saw thousands of youths causing chaos in downtown Chicago and other areas of the city and region in mid-2023.

The directive closely mirrors the approach taken by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in response to the rioting.

Following the initial incident in April, Mayor Brandon Johnson urged Illinoisans to forgive those accountable for the mob violence that wreaked havoc in Chicago.

“It is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities,” Johnson said in a statement at the time of the so-called "teen takeovers."

His comments were echoed by others in the BLM camp of the Democrat party.

After the series of riots, 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez, a candidate for the 4th Congressional District, introduced an ordinance suggesting fines of up to $5,000 for parents whose "out of control" children engage in activities like street takeovers and other illegal actions.

Aimed at holding parents accountable for their children's behavior, Lopez's proposed ordinance encouraged families to seek counseling to address and improve their children's conduct.

The fines outlined in Lopez's proposal ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, covering a range of offenses such as underage drinking, curfew violations and street takeovers.

The initiative sought to make legal guardians responsible for overseeing and addressing their children's involvement in these activities.

Read the entire directive below:

Chicago Police Department

INTERACTIONS WITH YOUTH AND CHILDREN

ISSUE DATE:

29 December 2023

EFFECTIVE DATE:

29 December 2023

INDEX CATEGORY:

02-Human Rights and Community Partnerships

CALEA:

Law Enforcement Standards Chapter 44

PURPOSE

This directive provides general guidance for Department members for interacting in a developmentally appropriate manner with youths and children and more specifically with youths and children who are victims, witnesses, offenders, in crisis, and youths and children who have been reported missing, located, or found. The over-arching goal is to minimize harm to the youths and children, while protecting public safety. Informing Department members of alternatives to arrest while connecting at-risks youths and children to diversion services as part of an integrated approach for community safety.

POLICY

The Chicago Police Department is committed to:

A. encouraging officers to exercise discretion by using alternatives to arrest and alternatives to referral to court, including, but not limited to, issuing warmings, offering guidance, and providing referrals to community and social services and resources such as mental health, drug treatment, mentoring, counseling organizations, educational services, and other agencies.

B. understanding that youths and children are developmentally different from adults and therefore require the use of unique approaches during voluntary contacts, investigatory stops, searches, and custodial contacts.

C. effectively interacting with youths and children in non-custody situations.

D. prioritizing the diversion of youths and children away from the Juvenile or Criminal Justice System by using alternatives to arrest to hold youth accountable;

E. responding and using discretion for incidents involving youths and children in need of mental health treatment with the foremost regard for the preservation of human life.

F. recognizing that youths and children are afforded the same constitutional protections as adults and acknowledging the need for additional protective measures; and

G. encouraging officers to avoid taking youths and children into secure custody unless no other effective alternatives exist.

DEFINITIONS

A. Adult - A person who is age eighteen years or older.

B. Child - A person under the age of thirteen years old.

C. Juvenile - A person who was seventeen years old or younger when the offense occurred.

D. Youth - A person of the age thirteen to twenty-four years old.

GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Youths and children can be more effectively and appropriately served by receiving developmental appropriate services and support from the Department, the community, and community-based providers when diverted from formal involvement in the Juvenile or Criminal Justice System.

02-05 Interactions with Youth and Children Chicago Police Department, December 2023

Current as of 29 December 2023:1022