Eunice Police Chief Kyle LeBouef has set a city-wide curfew for the city of Eunice.
LeBouef said he's setting the curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., starting today, March 23, and it will continue until further notice.
"The curfew is set in place to promote public safety as investigations continue into the recent shootings that have occured in Eunice," a release from the chief states. "The curfew is not to interfere with anyone attempting to get to work, school, go to the grocery store, or for emergencies. If anyone is out there driving, riding a bicycle, walking, or by any other means, on the streets or public property between these hours without a legitimate reason for being there and the officers have probable cause, they will be stopped, identified, and documented."
The chief says his officers also will have "zero tolerance" for enforcement of the city's curfew for minors.
"Parents will also be held accountable as the ordinance states. Chief LeBouef and Mayor Fontenot are in discussions to have the current ordinance amended to reflect a change in the hours of curfew," the release states.
Here's the ordinance for the minors' curfew:
Sec. 14:105. - Curfew for minors established.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any unemancipated minor under the age of seventeen (17) years to travel, loiter, wander, stroll or play in or upon or traverse any public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, places of amusements and entertainment, places and buildings, vacant lots or other unsupervised places in the city between the hours of 10:00 p.m. on any Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night and 5:00 a.m. of the following day, or 12:00 midnight on any Friday or Saturday night and 5:00 a.m. of the following day, all official time of the city, unless the minor is accompanied by his parents, tutor or other responsible adult or unless the minor is upon an emergency errand or has in his possession the written permission of his parent, tutor or other adult having custody of such minor to be upon or in such places between such hours of such date, unless an event officially sanctioned by the mayor and chief of police happens to be scheduled on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights, on which occasions the curfew hour would extend to 12:00 midnight.
(b) Any minor violating any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed a neglected child, as such term is defined in Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 13, sections 1569 and 1570, as now enacted or hereafter amended or reenacted, and such minor and his parents, tutor or other adult having the care and custody of such minor shall be dealt with under proper procedure in any juvenile court having jurisdiction of such child.
(c) If any minor is found guilty of violating this section, as provided in paragraph (a) hereinabove, in addition to the provisions contained in paragraph (b) hereinabove, either parent, or both, of the minor violating this section, or the custodial parent, tutor or any other person having the care and custody of said minor, shall be subject to a fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200.00) or imprisoned for a period of not more than thirty (30) days, either or both, at the discretion of the city judge, provided that such parent or other person having the care and custody of the minor, shall have received two (2) warnings or notices from the police department or the city court of the minor's previous violation or violations of curfew prior to the penalty being assessed, and provided further that such violation occur within any consecutive twenty-four (24) month period. A fine or penalty in conformity herewith may be assessed upon to the maximum limits set forth herein for each separate violation.
