Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden announced Wednesday afternoon East Baton Rouge Parish will be under a curfew from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday.
“That has been approved and signed off by the parish attorney’s office,” Holden said at a news conference. “We apologize if this has caused any inconvenience for anyone. But we will go back on what we said continuously: the safety of the public is our primary concern.”
Holden said he will determine tomorrow whether or not the curfew will be extended.
Holden advised residents to stay off the roadways and said he anticipates more heavy rainfall throughout the night.
East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said the parish police will be enforcing the curfew. Parish residents will only be allowed out during the curfew for legitimate emergencies.
“There is no problem with parish prison,” Gautreaux said. “Parish prison is totally operational. We have room in the inn, and we will. So, if you need to visit us, you’re going to get a chance to if you’re not following what we’re asking you to follow.”
Gautreax praised East Baton Rouge residents for their good judgment throughout the storm.
“I want to commend the citizens of this parish so far, because you have adhered to our requests,” he said. “That makes things a whole lot easier for all of us.”
Police Chief Dwayne White promised Baton Rouge Police Department officers will respond to emergencies within three minutes.
“I can tell you that we’ll continue the 12-hour shift,” he said. “We’ll have the maximum number of officers strategically placed throughout the city so that they can respond in a timely fashion to any need or request by a citizen.”
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Curfew in effect for 6 p.m. in East Baton Rouge Parish
August 28, 2012