Peoria City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted an ordinance creating a new offense for "nuisance gatherings," a measure aimed at giving police an additional tool to disperse large, disorderly crowds following an early-morning shooting on Sept. 28.

The ordinance, introduced by Mayor Rita Ali and drafted after review of similar rules in Normal and Springfield, Illinois, authorizes law enforcement to order a crowd of 10 or more people to disperse when at least two specified unlawful acts are occurring among participants. Council members emphasized the measure is intended to address violent or obstructive behavior, not permitted protests.

Mayor Rita Ali framed the ordinance by referencing the Sept. 28 incident downtown, saying officers were impeded while trying to render aid to a shooting victim and that "we cannot allow it to continue." Corporation Counsel Hayes told the council the ordinance is modeled after one adopted in Normal and was drafted to be content neutral and narrowly tailored. Hayes said the dispersal authority would require (1) a crowd of 10 or more, (2) at least two predicate unlawful acts by participants, and (3) supervisor-level review before a dispersal order is issued.

Council debate focused on constitutional risk and on-the-ground discretion. Council member Vespa said he worried the ordinance could be misapplied at protests: "You need 10 people, and two violations could be something like underage drinking or illegal parking — that could sweep up lawful expressive conduct if officers don't make the right call," he said. Corporation Counsel Hayes responded that the ordinance lists specific predicate offenses and was drafted to avoid First Amendment overreach, but he acknowledged legal challenges are possible.

Other council members said they expected the ordinance to be used as a deterrent and a tool to protect residents and first responders. Council member Kelly asked the chief and counsel to clarify how the ordinance differs from existing criminal offenses; Hayes said the primary new element is an explicit order-to-dispersal mechanism and the staged steps for law enforcement to follow, rather than creating new underlying criminal behavior.

The ordinance was amended in session to reflect the final number of qualifying predicate offenses; staff noted during the meeting that the ordinance text adopted by the council listed 15 qualifying offenses that can form the predicates for a dispersal order.

Council members also discussed operational questions: how dispersal orders would be communicated (verbally at the scene, sometimes with loudspeaker), whether signage would be practical, and how officers would balance protections for lawful protest. Mayor Ali and members said they expected social-media monitoring and organizer warnings to act as deterrence. Chief Echevarria (Chief of Police) and Corporation Counsel Hayes described training and past crowd-response practices; Hayes said officers typically use warnings and only escalate when public-safety conditions warrant it.

The vote to adopt the ordinance was unanimous. The city clerk recorded the ordinance as an amendment to Chapter 20, Article 4, of the Peoria Code (offenses against public peace) to add the nuisance-gathering dispersal authority. The council and staff said guidance and training materials will follow and that video of the Sept. 28 response remains posted on the city's website for public review.

Why it matters: The ordinance gives Peoria police a clearly codified dispersal tool intended to address situations that escalate beyond typical crowd-control challenges, but council debate shows concern about protecting lawful protest and ensuring careful supervisory decision-making in fast-moving street incidents. The council and counsel noted the measure is intended to be used primarily where criminal conduct is present and supervisor approval is obtained before dispersal orders are issued.

Next steps: Corporation Counsel Hayes and police leadership said they will provide training and implementation guidance to officers and will monitor how the ordinance is used. The city clerk will publish the adopted ordinance text and related materials on the city's website.