Governor Ducey's curfew order will not be enforced in parts of Arizona
PHOENIX - Following Governor Doug Ducey's announcement of a weeklong, limited curfew in the aftermath of unrest in various Arizona cities, some government officials have voiced their concerns over the decision.
According to the Governor's Executive Order, the curfew will last from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., from May 31 to June 8. The executive order lists a number of exemptions.
Cochise County
Cochise County Sheriff Mark J. Dennels said residents will continue to go about their daily activities, and businesses will remain open.
"The emergency declaration is specific to unlawful gatherings and assemblies, and the curfew will be a tool utilized by local law enforcement and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in the event of anyone attempting to create distractions and/ or engage in criminal activity," read a portion of the statement.
Greenlee County
Greenlee County's Sheriff, Tim Sumner, announced on the Sheriff's Office's unverified Facebook page that he has instructed his deputies and staff to not enforce the curfew, as it is not a law.
"There are laws against rioting already, and we do not see a need in Greenlee County to stop people from going about their lives, including the major shift work at the Morenci FMI mine," Sheriff Sumner wrote. "The Executive Orders have been coming out frequently, and this one being extremely short notice makes it almost impossible to comply with."
Sheriff Sumner also noted that he once advised his deputies and staff to not enforce orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Navajo County
Officials with Navajo County Sheriff's Office released a statement Sunday night, saying the curfew will not be enforced within the county.
"If the citizens of Navajo County are out on a legitimate business or pleasure, you will be fine," read a portion of the statement. "If you are out during the hours of 8:00 pm to 5:00 am within Navajo County, and you conduct yourself in a lawful matter, you have no reason to worry about your movements or travel."
Separately, police in Holbrook, which is the county seat of Navajo County, announced on the department's unverified Facebook page that the curfew will not be enforced within its city limits, saying the area has not seen riots like those in other parts of the country.
"As such, we feel that enforcing a curfew would have a negative effect upon our city," read a portion of the post. "We as a department respect the constitutional rights of our citizens and we will not infringe upon these God given rights."
Williams
Police officials in Williams say the Northern Arizona city will not enforce the curfew.
"Businesses can remain open and we will not force people to stay in after 8:00 pm if you have a legitimate reason to be out," a portion of the Facebook post reads. "Our wonderful community of Williams thankfully has had no issues with riots, fights, fires, etc."
Winslow
Winslow's mayor also said the city will also not enforce the order.
"We do not intend to enforce any further impingement upon our citizens' Constitutional rights, nor will we allow the Governors curfew order to jeopardize the relationship of trust and respect we enjoy between our Police and our citizens and business community," wrote the city's mayor, Thomas L. McCauley, on the city's unverified Facebook page. "We are neither Minneapolis nor Phoenix. We are Winslow, and we will not have our rights and our way of life in Winslow compromised by a 'one size fits all' regulation such as this latest order."
Yuma County
In a statement obtained by FOX 10, officials with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office say they will not enforce the curfew unless there is a need to do so.
"The Sheriff’s Office recognizes there have been peaceful protests within our community and those participants are encouraged to continue to remain civil while expressing their rights," read a portion of the statement.
Tucson mayor expresses concerns
In Tucson, Mayor Regina Romero said, via her unverified Twitter account, that neither she nor Tucson Police chief Chris Magnus were notified of the decision, and that she learned of the curfew via Gov. Ducey's tweet.
"We have less than 6 hrs to plan and have not seen the [Executive Order]," Mayor Romero tweeted. At the time of the tweet, Gov. Ducey's executive order was not released.