In an effort to meet the needs of residents and business owners, East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux announced this morning that he’s shortening the duration of the city-parish’s curfew.
The curfew will now start at midnight and end at 6 a.m., rather than the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew that’s been in place since Tuesday.
“While I feel a curfew is still needed to maintain the safety of residents and first responders and to provide security for devastated homes and businesses, I also want to accommodate the needs of our community by allowing them more time in which to conduct business,” Gautreaux says in a statement. “The thousands of people that have lost homes and businesses are my number one concern. We will do what needs to be done to secure their property by strictly enforcing those out after midnight without a legitimate reason.”
In his statement, Gautreaux says the curfew will still allow individuals to travel to and from work, make food, fuel and other deliveries. No further adjustments will be made until the curfew is lifted, and it will remain in effect until further notice.
The curfew has been a point of contention in the city-parish. Gautreaux got Gov. John Bel Edwards to sign off on it after Mayor Kip Holden refused.
Gautreaux has maintained the curfew is needed to keep the community safe after roughly 14 people were arrested for looting earlier this week. Holden, however, says it’s not necessary, as have many local restaurants and business owners who say it’s hurting business and their ability to get employees back to work.
Neal Hendrick, owner of Zippy’s in the Perkins Road overpass area—who on Thursday predicted his business would have been cut in half if the curfew was not lifted before this weekend—says the adjustment to the curfew is welcomed, though he still thinks it should be lifted entirely.
“We’re very happy, glad they did it and we’re looking forward to when the curfew is lifted,” he says.
—Alexandria Burris
