CARMEL — Carmel's night-time curfew was short-lived.
Joining with Indianapolis, which lifted its curfew for Wednesday and Thursday, Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard decided Wednesday to cancel the Hamilton County city's curfew.
The Carmel curfew was in effect just one night, from Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Carmel has seen peaceful protests following the George Floyd police killing in Minneapolis. But on Tuesday, the mayor and police were concerned about possible trouble.
"We have received threats directed toward our community and we cannot ignore their implications. I appreciate the fact that the mayor is taking this matter with the attention necessary to better ensure the safety of our community,” said Carmel Police Chief Jim Barlow on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, those concerns had eased. “After conferring this afternoon with the Police Chief, I feel that we can safely lift the restrictions on travel throughout the community," said Mayor Brainard. "However, I will not hesitate to reissue a curfew if the need arises. I appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the community as we navigate this new territory together."
While there will be no curfew for now, the city's Disaster Emergency Declaration issued Monday remains in effect. It allows the mayor to take quick action to "protect the community from any threats of civil unrest."
