(CNS) -- Mayor Karen Bass announced an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in a square-mile section of downtown Los Angeles, going into effect tonight in an attempt to stop the looting and vandalism in the area.
The curfew will be in effect between Golden State (5) Freeway to Harbor (110) Freeway and from Santa Monica (10) Freeway to where the Arroyo Seco (110) Parkway and Golden State Freeway merge, Bass said Tuesday during news conference. ``If you do not live or work in downtown L.A., avoid the area,'' Bass said.
Law enforcement will arrest individuals who break the curfew, and you will be prosecuted,'' Bass said Tuesday during a news conference. There will be ``limited exceptions'' to the curfew -- residents of the area, ``people traveling to and from work and credentialed media representatives,'' she said.
The Mayor said she expects the curfew to be in effect for ``several days.'' She said she will consult with law enforcement officials Wednesday about extending the curfew for additional days. Bass said she had considered implementing a curfew for several days, but said the looting of 23 businesses Monday was a tipping point.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell reiterated that anyone who is in violation of the curfew will be subject to arrest. ``The curfew is a necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property,'' McDonnell said.
The LAPD has made 197 arrests as of Tuesday in connection with the lawbreaking that began Friday, sparked by federal action to arrest immigrants in the country without legal permission, mostly related to individuals who refused to adhere to dispersal orders..
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