CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago police were once again preparing for a possible “teen takeover” trend downtown on Friday night, and they have been employing some high-tech measures to try and discourage the gathering.

Previous trends have gotten out of hand with teens taking over streets and vandalizing cars. Last month in Streeterville, a teenage boy was injured in a shooting.

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Police and a peacekeeping group are hoping to prevent that kind of behavior.

The area around Ogden Plaza Park has become a new favorite gathering spot for teens coming downtown, but recently, authorities have discovered that they are often using rideshares instead of public transportation to get there, city council members said.

In coordination with rideshare companies, the city’s Office of Emergency Management & Communications and Chicago police set up geofence perimeters from 4:30 to 10 p.m., so that vehicles cannot pick up of drop or passengers inside a certain zone around the park. They were installed on Columbus Drive and Park Drive, from Illinois Street to North Water Street. The order could be canceled if there is no large gathering.

“So, I think this is a good tactic by the Chicago Police Department and OEMC and Chicago Fire Department, because it really is a public safety event that we’re trying to prevent from becoming an issue, downtown,” said former OEMC Executive Director Rich Guidice. “If you make it a little bit more challenging for these kids, then hopefully they’ll find something else that’s more constructive to do.”

SEE ALSO | Compromise reached in City Council on curfew amid teen takeovers; vote expected next month

Ald. Brian Hopkins, who represents the 2nd Ward, said police used the barricades at the Democratic National Convention earlier last year. It was successful then, so they are testing out the tactic in this scenario to hopefully stop teens from running into traffic.

Last month, 300 teens gathered in Streeterville, taking over streets. At one point, a 15-year-old was shot, and numerous young people were arrested.

“We live in an area where there are a ton of restaurants and there’s lots of entertainment, but we can’t enjoy our own neighborhood if we have to be so scared,” Streeterville resident Helene Para said.

Para said she is not taking any chances tonight after hearing gunshots in the last takeover.

“It’s quite frightening, and it leaves me homebound for the weekend,” Para said. “I’m afraid to go out on weekends, because I’ve been caught in it trying to get home, and the crowd is quite scary. So for today, I’ve stacked up my groceries early so that I could make it home before any trouble arises.”

That’s why there was an undeniable show of force from the Chicago Police Department on Friday.

“I think it makes me feel less safe just because it was an overwhelming amount of policemen, so that definitely tells you that’s not normal,” Northwestern student Christina Kim said. “They’re here because something is a threat.”

Earlier Friday, the Chicago Department of Transportation had set up iron fencing in and around the park, a common crowd control tactic.

Ald. Brendan Reilly, who represents the 42nd Ward, informed residents of the police plans in a memo. He noted that the geofencing boundaries would be in effect from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Officials initially said the barricades would be left up through the weekend and be taken down on Monday, but right around 8:30 a.m. Friday, ABC7 suddenly saw crews taking them down. No one could tells us why, though Reilly said in his memo that the fencing plans would be canceled if the takeover was called off.

Police from the 18th District, which covers Streeterville, are on alert and are expected to have a very visible presence in the area on Friday evening.

But one peacekeeper organization will also be downtown to do their part to connect with anyone involved in a trend in the area, encourage good behavior and prevent problems.

“Well, they should be able to come and go and enjoy the city just as much as everybody else. But, like, the message that I tell them, that they have to be respectful of people and property of things, too. So, you know, it’s two sides to it,” said Crisis Prevention and Response Unit Associate Director Rodney Phillips. “If we run into any teens, engage them and just stay on top to make sure no altercations, nobody is victimized, and nobody is arrested.”

Last weekend, when young people had planned a takeover in Millennium Park, the police presence discouraged things, and they went elsewhere.

Crews on Friday morning removed fencing that had just been installed around the city’s Streeterville neighborhood.

Ald. Brendan Reilly, who represents the 42nd Ward, says the fencing was expected to help police control the crowds of young people who have gathered in recent few weeks.

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Ald. Brian Hopkins, who represents the 2nd Ward, told ABC7 that crews put up barricades in Streeterville on Thursday in preparation for this weekend.

But right around 8:30 a.m. Friday, ABC7 suddenly saw crews start taking them down. ABC7 is working to figure out why.

This comes after Riley sent out an advisory to residents overnight, warning of a possible planned teen takeover in the area on Friday evening.

SEE ALSO | Compromise reached in City Council on curfew amid teen takeovers; vote expected next month

The Chicago Police Department and the Department of Streets and Sanitation installed iron gates, he says, along Columbus Drive and Park Drive, from Illinois Street to North Water Street.

In the alert, it says young people have shifted away from using public transportation to rideshares to meet for these teen takeovers. That is why they are putting up barricades and using geo-fencing, to try to prevent that.

It is somewhat of an experiment, Hopkins said, as a crowd-control measure.

READ MORE | 14-year-old charged in downtown Chicago shooting of 15-year-old during March ‘teen takeover’: CPD

He says police actually used the barricades at the Democratic National Convention earlier last year. It was successful then, so they are testing out the tactic now in this scenario to hopefully stop teens from running into traffic.

There will also be plenty of police officers in the neighborhood to monitor the situation.

Officials say the barricades will be left up through the weekend and be taken down on Monday. But as of 11 a.m. Friday, there’s no sign of the fencing being put back up.

As of 9 p.m. Friday, it seemed the planned takeover had been canceled or delayed. Police officers, residents and other visitors were all hoping for an uneventful evening.

The Chicago Police Department shared the following statement Friday afternoon:

“The Chicago Police Department, along with our public safety partners, utilizes many resources and tools to maintain safety during large gatherings. We adjust resources based on need as we monitor each situation. Officers will also be visible and present throughout the area as we work to safeguard all those who are visting, living and working in the areas of these large gatherings.”