An order of curfew for areas in an evacuation order was signed by the Riley County commission on Thursday.
County Counselor Clancy Holeman presented the order to the commission saying it is to be used by emergency services in a time of mandatory evacuation. The order will be used in accordance with a concurrent local emergency declaration.
In order to keep the curfew in place, the commission will need to keep renewing the declaration very seven days — which Chairman Ron Wells has the authority to do. This will allow them to enact the curfew without having to convene a meeting.
Commissioner John Ford believes this ordinance is important during this time since there is rising concern for those in the evacuation advisory areas regarding whether or not they should leave their property. He says this will give the residents there some kind of reassurance that their property is protected while they are not home.
“When you get into these kinds of scenarios, you are gonna have people who are wanting to drive around and look at stuff at night,” says Ford, “You’re gonna have emergency services in play, they don’t need to be intermingling with people who don’t need to be there.”
Holeman says this ordinance will also help with law enforcement so they will be comfortable knowing they have legal authority to ask people to leave evacuated areas if they find them there overnight. He also adds that entering these areas after curfew could lead to criminal charges.
If an evacuation order is issued, curfews would be in place from sundown to sunrise in areas that are under that order.
