Chicago Police Finally Make Large Number of Arrests During Teen Mass Rampage

For the last several years, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has engaged in a policy of “hands-off” as huge groups of hundreds of teens and young adults rampage through neighborhoods looting stores, vandalizing cars, fighting with each other, and even shooting people. But on Sunday, police reversed that policy and actually made dozens of arrests during one such mob scene.

Last weekend, the CPD made about 40 arrests as a large group of teens again targeted an area along Roosevelt Road in the city’s South Loop business district.

It was the largest number of arrests since 61 were arrested during a mob rampage in July of 2021, according to CWB Chicago.

Still, a mere 40 arrests made only a small dent in the mob of some 400 teens carousing through the area and totally trashing a 7-Eleven convenience store in the process.

Video shows the scene at the store:

According to NBC 5, most were charged with misdemeanors and immediately released, though a select few were hit with gun charges.

But, the CPD certainly made an about-face. In fact, according to CBS News, several CPD supervisors were heard encouraging officers to make arrests.

“Let’s be clear – for these kids are running in the street, mass arrest. Lock them up,” a supervisor was heard saying, CBS added.

“If you’re an officer, you should be putting hands on people and arresting them right now – not watching them walk by you,” the supervisor reportedly added.

Interim Chicago Police Supt. Fred Waller stood by the arrests.

“Our posture has been tolerant, and usually when we say that it’s curfew and we ask them to disperse, they do,” Waller said. “Yesterday, they, so to speak, crossed the line.”

Waller also said the arrests were for cause, not random.

“The arrests are a result of the actions. Before we asked them to move, we asked them to go home. It was curfew time, and they did. This time, they refused. They began fighting against each other,” Waller said. “We haven’t arrested people like that, but this group got so out of hand we had no choice.”

Community activists also tried to jump into action ahead of the appearance of the mob of teens. Seeing social media posts encouraging teens to gather in the area, activists say they began contacting businesses to close up and lock down to try and prevent damage to their best ability.

These mobs of teens have been causing havoc in Chicago for several years, now, and little has been done to stop them.

Just in April, a couple suffered injuries as groups of hundreds of teens rioted through the city’s downtown Loop area.

Also in April, two teens were shot by someone seemingly shooting randomly into the crowd of hundreds during four days of teen mob action.

In May, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a self-professed “progressive,” took office, but has thus far been able to make a dent in the rising crime rates, or put a stop to these mobs of teens terrorizing the city.

In fact, Johnson has scolded anyone critical of the mobs. In April he was heard chastising the media and Chicago’s weary residents for “demonizing” the mobs of teens.

“In no way do I condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and lakefront this weekend,” Johnson said after the four days of destruction wrought in April. “It is unacceptable and has no place in our city. However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”

Meanwhile, Johnson has busied himself with looking to put $25 million in city funds to house illegal aliens, and turning several of the city’s schools and colleges into shelters for illegal aliens. Even as up to 50 Chicagoans have been shot every weekend since he took office.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston.