by Katy Grimes
As Appearing in the California Globe
Other cities may also impose curfews
The City of Morgan Hill imposed a curfew on its residents lasting from 8 p.m. through 6:30 a.m. Wednesday evening, due to the PG&E power shut offs, KRON4 reported.
City officials on Facebook said the curfew was intended to crack down on pedestrians loitering in areas that are impacted by the shutoff.
At first blush it seemed as if they were imposing Martial Law, making law-abiding citizens remain inside of their homes, rather than focusing on criminals and thieves.
However, California Globe contacted the City of Morgan Hill, and spoke with Sergeant Bill Norman with the Morgan Hill Police Department to find out about the purpose of the curfew, and if something precipitated it.
The curfew was specifically a crime preventative tactic.
“The curfew was two-fold,” Sgt. Norman said. “First, we wanted to make sure people did not get hurt in the dark streets and neighborhoods. Second, we didn’t want the criminal element coming into the town.”
Sgt. Norman said they anticipated that homes and businesses would be preyed upon by criminals looking for easy break-ins during the power outage.
