LA County Sheriff 'Will No Longer Enforce' Curfews; Officials Say Decision Not Linked To ACLU Lawsuit

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - County officials said Thursday they will no longer enact or enforce curfews after several days of protests and looting across Southern California.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said his agency would not enforce any more curfews, adding that "other jurisdictions are free to make their own decisions."

"Based upon current situational awareness and the recent pattern of peaceful actions by protesters, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will no longer enforce a curfew," Villanueva said in a statement.

The county also said it "does not plan to issue a countywide curfew" Thursday night.

The shift comes just one day after the ACLU Foundation of Southern California filed an emergency lawsuit on behalf of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, journalists, protesters and others impacted by curfews imposed throughout the region after widespread protests against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

A sheriff's spokesperson told CBSLA the curfew decision was not linked to the ACLU lawsuit, but rather the department had already planned on not enforcing the curfew before the lawsuit was filed.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, who was also named in the ACLU lawsuit, said Wednesday night he also did not anticipate imposing any more curfews, provided there were no more issues with looting or vandalism that have occurred during some protests over the past week.

"We are at a moment which we should all demand more of each other," Garcetti said. "You certainly demanded more of me, and I've heard you."

Individual cities still have jurisdiction to enact curfews, including Beverly Hills and Santa Clarita, which announced 6 p.m. curfews through 6 a.m. Friday. By Thursday afternoon, both cities had canceled their curfews.

Santa Clarita issued a statement that it would cancel the curfew, because of "the peaceful protests we have seen today in our city."