Other cities also struggle with teen takeovers. What can Chicago learn from them?
chicago.suntimes.com | Published on 7/31/2026
As Chicago struggles to find ways to rein in teen gatherings that become chaotic and violent, it can look to places like Baltimore for innovative approaches. Experts say a strategy that broadens summer activity choices and job opportunities can be far more effective than an over-reliance on law enforcement and punitive action.
At the heart of the challenge that teen takeovers pose is the balance between creating for teens living in crime-ravaged neighborhoods safe spaces to get together, while ensuring so-called “teen trends” that become violent don’t cast a pall on downtown commerce and tourism.
“Socially disadvantaged kids live in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty. I’ve interviewed them,” says Sara Thomas, a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University. “They have to stay home to avoid violence. They don’t have opportunities. That gets pretty frustrating.