City Council Goes After Public Drinking, Gambling And Urinating

By aaroncynic in News on Apr 5, 2013 7:00PM

The City plans to take a tougher stance on those who get caught drinking, gambling or urinating in public and ignore the resulting fines and hearings. The Sun-Times reports the City Council’s Public Safety committee approved a plan put forth by Mayor Rahm Emanuel which doubles the maximum fine and adds six months of jail time to offenders who fail to show up at court or don’t pay fines for violations.

City officials say catching people on the street with a beer can in hand or their pants around their ankles helps stop more serious crimes. Deputy patrol chief Steve Georgas told aldermen at a City Council meeting:

“This sort of unchecked behavior will then lead to further disorder and can ultimately lead to other crimes such as solicitation, narcotics sales and gang loitering. That is why it is imperative that we enforce these quality of life issues that are being ignored, so offenders realize their behavior will not be accepted.”

Alderman Harry Osterman cheered the ordinance, citing a conversation he had with a patrol officer who told him a gang member “did two of the three things cited here” in celebration after he was released from prison. Fraternal Order of Police President Michael Shields said the law was overdue. “We write ANOVs knowing they’re never going to get paid. It would be a great tool that, the next time you see the guy after he hasn’t paid and he’s committing the same violation as he did last month, now we get to lock ’em up,” Shields told the Sun-Times.

Additionally, the Public Safety Committee addressed violators of city curfew laws. The Chicago Tribune reports a proposal by Alderman Deborah Graham would allow judges to require social services for families of children who violate curfew. Services could include anger management, alcohol and drug abuse treatment.