Harlan Kirgan
The 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. St. Landry Parish curfew is not causing any issues, according to Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot.
“There are still people moving about, but we can’t stop everybody,” he said.
The curfew does allow people to travel through the city and people going to work.
People are going to the drive-through restaurants, he said.
But if somebody is doing something that bring s attention to themselves police will approach them, he said.
Fontenot said there was a curfew violation last weekend, but it involved people involved in something else, he said.
There have been no complaints about businesses violating Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proclamation that limited gather to 10 or fewer people and allowed only businesses deemed essential to stay open.
“We really haven’t had any issues,” he said.
Fontenot said even if a business is open, all polce can do is recommend it be closed. If there are repeat issues with businesses police may issue a summons to appear in court, he said.
The stay-at-home order issued by the governor has seen an increase in domestic calls which are mostly alcohol related, he said.
“We haven’t had any shootings,” he said in reference to reports of shootings, particularly one on March 24 that involved about 30 shots fired on East Maple Avenue.
Police have been putting pressure on groups suspected in the shooting, he said, which may explain why the gunfire has paused.
On Thursday, a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew was declared parish-wide, according to a news release from Sheriff K.P. Gibson.
People who are traveling to and from work are asked to have identification and a letter from employers with them during the curfew hours, the news release stated. The letter needs to indicate the persons name and that they are employed with the business and have work hours between the curfew times.