Hurricane Harvey: Houston Mayor Issues Curfew, Effective Immediately

HOUSTON, TX — Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner imposed a citywide curfew from midnight - 5 a.m., effective immediately. Hurricane Harvey has displaced more than 10,000 people to shelters, and the mayor said it was for safety issues. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo praised the mayor's declaration.

"We made the recommendation to the mayor, and like the great leader he is, he accepted it," Acevedo said Tuesday evening. "There have been incidences of looting, armed robbers and people victimizing our citizens. These low-lives are doing it to their community and there are a lot of safety threats."

Acevedo said many there are still ongoing rescue missions throughout the evenings and the curfew is primarily for safety.

"This is a tool to enhance our ability to keep the community safe," Acevedo said. "If you're out during the curfew, then there's a high probability that the Houston PD or another law enforcement will pull you over. You will be stopped, you will be asked for information, you could be searched and arrested."

(For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Midtown Houston Patch, and click here to find your local Texas Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Like Midtown Houston Patch on Facebook and get our posts directly in your newsfeed; story continues below.

Follow Us On Facebook: Engage with your neighbors in the Metro Houston area and keep up with the talk of the day by liking one of our Facebook pages. Houston / Midtown Houston / Houston Heights / Galleria - River Oaks / Bellaire / Meyerland / Humble-Kingwood / Conroe-Montgomery County / Sugar Land / Pasadena / The Woodlands / Clear Lake

Image: Police block traffic following closure of the I-10 freeway leading into Houston after Hurricane Harvey caused heavy flooding in the city, August 27, 2017. Massive flooding unleashed by deadly monster storm Harvey left Houston -- the fourth-largest city in the United States -- increasingly isolated as its airports and highways shut down and residents fled homes waist-deep in water.

Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images