“While most residents and businesses have acted responsibly, the reality is that far too many people have gathered in stores that sell alcohol,” the mayor said at a press conference. It intends to give the Chicago Police Department and the Department of Commercial Affairs and Consumer Protection the power to further address non-compliance through fines, arrests or revocation of liquor license.
A city hall statement said the curfew is intended to “further ensure that all businesses and residents properly comply” with Gov. JB Pritzker’s directives. home order and “help prevent the gathering activity that has been observed throughout the city in the vicinity of stores that sell alcohol, especially during the evening hours.” Read the full statement below.
The BACP issued 21 citations to eight companies, said BACP commissioner Rosa Escareño, with fines totaling up to $ 120,000. These businesses include a gym that has continued to operate, a bar that has remained open, and a grocery store that has not taken steps to ensure social distancing. Escareño estimated that the BACP had received 1,000 complaints from Chicagoans about non-compliant businesses, conducted 690 investigations and contacted more than 4,000 businesses by phone to communicate the city’s requirements.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she intends to collect these fines, plans to crack down on parties held at Airbnbs or short-term rental properties, and is not afraid to travel to enforce compliance within parks and public places itself. “I am happy to do so.”