New California coronavirus curfew won’t be enforced locally, Fresno law enforcement says
Law enforcement with the city of Fresno and Fresno County do not plan on enforcing the new California curfew issued Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
The curfew, which goes into effect Saturday, prohibits nonessential work and gatherings between the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in counties that are in the purple tier — such as Fresno — areas categorized as experiencing the highest level of COVID-19 spread.
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims reiterated the department’s stance that it does not have the manpower or the desire to have deputies monitor residents in violation of Newsom’s latest stay-at-home order meant to help slow the spread of the virus.
“The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office will not be out enforcing the limited closure order,” Mims said Thursday evening. “I haven’t seen any data that shows between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. that things happen that cause a big spread of covid.
“We are not going to make criminals out of these normally law-abiding citizens.”
In the past week alone, Fresno County has averaged about 287 new cases of COVID-19 per day, an increase of 164.5% from two weeks ago, based on data from the California Department of Public Health.
In total, there have been 34,997 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 12,504 active, and 463 COVID-related deaths (1.3%).
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand issued a separate statement regarding the city’s handling of the California curfew.
“In light of the steep surge in positive cases we are currently experiencing, and as with other COVID-19 orders designed to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, the city of Fresno is asking our residents to voluntarily comply with the state’s limited stay-at-home directive,” Brand said. “Our police department will concentrate on their regular responsibilities to serve and protect the people of Fresno.”
About 37 million Californians live in counties currently in the purple tier, where the coronavirus transmission rates are high.
Madera, Kings and Tulare counties also are in the purple tier.
Purple-tier restaurants and businesses deemed nonessential technically are supposed to close by 10 p.m. under the curfew.
Mims said the governor’s office would not use a strike team to enforce the curfew, based on her conference call with the California Office of Emergency Services.
She added that there was “no expectation” for local law enforcement to enforce the order.
“We’ve got our hands full with real crime issues and this is not a law enforcement issue,” Mims said. “We’ve got a lot of things to do, including taking guns away from gang members, stopping narcotic trafficking and saving children from internet predators.
“A lot of things to do rather than enforce whether or not a normally law-abiding business is violating this order.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 7:50 PM.