The reason we have police officers is for the sake of protecting and serving our communities. These heroes are here to shield and defend us from the world of crime. However, what happens when young offenders band together and outnumber these heroes?

On March 28, a riot broke out in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago with hundreds of teens gathered with weapons such as firearms and stun guns. Out of the hundreds within this horde, only an estimated 12 were arrested, with a 15 year old boy being grazed in the leg by a gunshot but remaining in a stable condition after being picked up and observed by paramedics. It was reported that officers were already gathered and patrolling upon seeing the band of teens, but their numbers didn’t even make up for a fraction of the horde. 

But a question that arose from this crisis is: how does a station prepare for such an incident with no definitive motive, no street politics involved, but just young and dangerous ignorance. Even if the whole department was dispatched to the scene, the band would’ve still outnumbered them.

In response to the riot, “neighbors in Streeterville are pushing to get the City Council and Mayor Brandon Johnson to change the curfew for minors downtown from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m., in effort to curb the foolishness happening in their backyards,” stated by reporters at  CBS News.

While those affected by these events have varied opinions on how the city of Chicago should proceed from the riot, most individuals are blaming Mayor Brandon Johnson for letting such atrocities go seemingly unnoticed and practically unpunished. In order to prevent another outbreak such as this within Chicago and other areas, communities must come together to provide a safe and healthy environment.