Curfew Gets Curtailed In Downtown LA Amid Decline In Arrests

LOS ANGELES, CA — Mayor Karen Bass on Monday pushed back the start of the nightly curfew in downtown Los Angeles from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The curfew, which has begun every night since Tuesday at 8 p.m, will now begin at 10 p.m. It will continue to lift at 6 a.m., Bass said.

“The curfew, coupled with ongoing crime prevention efforts, have been largely successful in protecting stores, restaurants, businesses and residential communities from bad actors who do not care about the immigrant community,” Bass said in a press release.

The curfew was put in place last week amid unrest over immigration raids in the city. While anti-ICE protests were largely peaceful during the day, violence sometimes erupted at nighttime, which included people looting businesses and clashing with police.

It covers a one-square-mile area in and around downtown, bounded by the 5, 10 and 110 freeways.

• Read more: LA County Immigration Raids Continue, Including At Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet

The scaling-back of the curfew comes as arrests have fallen in recent days, city officials said.

“This adjusted curfew reflects the progress we’ve made in reducing crime and vandalism within the curfew zone. That said, we’re not letting our guard down. The LAPD will maintain a strong presence in the downtown area to ensure the safety of residents, businesses, and demonstrators alike,” said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.

The LAPD has arrested 575 people since protests began on June 7, including 14 people for looting, the department said in a press release.

The first day the curfew was enacted, 203 people were arrested for failure to disperse and 17 were arrested for violating the curfew. On Saturday — the day of the 'No Kings' protests — 35 were arrested for violating curfew, while just one person was arrested for failure to disperse, the Los Angeles Times reported.

City Council members Ysabel Jurado and Eunisses Hernandez, who represent neighborhoods within the curfew zone, supported the mayor's decision.

Jurado called it a "step in the right direction." Hernandez emphasized that the city will remain focused on protecting the immigrant community and defending the constitutional rights of all Angelenos.

Nella McOsker, president and CEO of the Central City Association, which represents downtown businesses, issued a statement supporting the updated curfew and calling for additional public safety measures

"The city must act now with long-term plans that balance public safety and economic vitality by also establishing clear protocols to proactively manage unrest, ensuring Downtown stays open, stable, and thriving for the people who depend on it," McOsker said.

The City Council will meet Tuesday to discuss the mayor's declaration and take potential steps to ratify and extend it.

• Read more: LA Activist Arrested For Handing Out Protective Masks Was Being Surveilled By Police

Bass had said there was no "termination date" for the curfew during a Friday news conference. She reported that it was "making a difference" in curtailing criminal activity.

"We are hoping that if the cause of the turmoil ends, which is stopping the raids, then I can almost guarantee you that curfew will go away," Bass previously said.

Immigration enforcement operations are expected to continue across Los Angeles County.

President Donald Trump issued some guidance on immigration enforcement to focus on Democrat-run cities, and scaling back operations at farms, hotels and restaurants.

City News Service contributed to this court.