On Monday, a large gathering at Chicago’s 57th Street Beach resulted in the arrest of several young individuals. As the city approaches the summer season, efforts are underway to provide its youth with safer and more constructive activities.
In response to recent events, Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement on Friday urging parents, guardians, and responsible adults to guide their children away from unsanctioned gatherings. He emphasized the importance of knowing their whereabouts and discussing the risks associated with such events.
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“To the youth of Chicago: Avoid attending these gatherings,” Mayor Johnson advised. “They can quickly spiral out of control and have serious repercussions. The Chicago Police Department will be enforcing curfew and relevant laws, and community violence intervention partners will be present to ensure the safety of young people.”
Highlighting the city’s commitment to its youth, Mayor Johnson reminded that Friday marked the final day for applications to the Chicago Youth Works summer jobs program. He encouraged young people to apply and to use the My CHI. My Future. app to discover various summer opportunities.
Mayor Johnson concluded by urging everyone to “stay safe, look out for one another, and engage in activities that contribute positively to your future.”
“Stay safe, look out for one another and choose opportunities that invest in your future.”
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Outreach worker James Mitchell prepared with his team to find out where kids might be gathering Friday evening. They like to be in the space first to get to know the teens and set the tone for a drama-free zone.
“Wanting to be social is what we want for our young people we want them to be come out and be safe and we want the residents to be able to enjoy the city it belongs to all of us,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell was at 57th Street Beach Monday, where the crowd of young people grew and got out of hand. He is the Field Manager of the Crisis Intervention and Response Unit at Metropolitan Peace Initiative. The outreach team tries to stay ahead of trends and make sure teens understand the consequences of bad decisions and connect them to other options.
“The goal is to collaborate with park districts and a lot of entities in the city and find out what would be the best fit for our young people,” Mitchell said.
Diane Latiker with Kids Off The Block has worked with thousands of young people in the Pullman Roseland area. She makes sure they feel genuine care and guidance. She saw they needed a safe space, so she took over a vacant lot across the street.
“I want them to feel better I want them to feel better in their community so they don’t feel like they have to go downtown to do anything,” Latiker said.
They will be working out Saturday at Mollison Elementary school. Trainers from Phenomenal Fitness are volunteering for a Restore the Youth Field Take Over.
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Trainer Sunny Akhigbe also founded A Boy and His Dream. His experience of being abandoned as an infant motivated him to make sure young people feel valued, so he created the free teen event Saturday.
“We will show them respect while encouraging to behave and behave right and be a good citizen,” Akhigbe said. “I think is what the community desperately needs now and the best way to do that is to demonstration they are loved.”
Akhigbe urges young people to use their phone to register for Saturday’s field day instead of tracking the next teen meetup. He says parents are welcome too.
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