Hundreds Of Teens Cause Mayhem In Downtown Chicago

CHICAGO — More than 200 police officers were deployed to downtown Chicago Wednesday night to deal with hundreds of rowdy teenagers. The mobs of young people were involved in cellphone thefts, fighting and other crimes, police said.

Officers on bikes, horseback and on foot worked to maintain order as the crowds spread through Mag Mile and the Loop. More than two dozen young people were arrested and turned back over to their families, according to police.

Chicago police Chief Fred Waller said officers called Chicago Public Schools principals to talk to some of the teens and get them to stand down, NBC Chicago reported.

Police ramped up their presence in the Mag Mile area after a group of up to 50 teenagers attacked people and disrupted local businesses late last year. Earlier this month, nearly two dozen young people were arrested in downtown Chicago, police said. A cell phone video was posted that showed two teens attacking a security guard outside the McDonald's at 10 East Chicago Avenue. Police have released surveillance images of two people they would like to question about the attack.

Following last year's mayhem, Water Tower Place instituted a policy that teens 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult after 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The policy appears to be working, authorities said, and police are focusing their efforts on the streets.