Mayor Flaggs issues proclamation of local emergency and sets city curfew for minors

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Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs, Jr. issued a proclamation of a local emergency on Friday, citing references to crimes committed by and against minors in the community. The proclamation sets a curfew for minors, ages 17 and younger.

This action results from the increasing violence and criminal activity inside city limits committed by and against minors in the City of Vicksburg. Mayor Flaggs fully believes that protecting minors, especially during the summer when school is out, is a responsibility of all. Flaggs stated in an earlier Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) meeting, the curfew protects children and is in the best interests of public health, safety and welfare.

“There is no reason for minor children to be out in the City, unaccompanied by a parent, after 11 p.m. This curfew is also a result of a lack of parental responsibility. I hope that this curfew will curtail that moving forward,” stated Flaggs

During Monday’s BOMA meeting, Flaggs addressed crime and congregation after hours which has become an issue for the city. Flaggs began the meeting by addressing the youth, directly.

“Young people,” Flaggs began. “If you are going to walk the streets and you’re going to terrorize our neighborhoods, I’m going to slap a recommendation of a curfew in this city for 11 p.m.”

The mayor referenced the issue the city has been having with its youth, especially when it comes to violence.

“We’ve already, thanks to Chief Jones and others, had to implement a rule at the mall because they (the youth) don’t know how to behave themselves. Parents are just dropping them off at the mall, unsupervised, and they are terrorizing the mall,” said Flaggs.

Flaggs later recommended a 60-day curfew to the Board for those ages 17 and under.

On Friday, Flaggs issued the proclamation aimed to help decrease crimes within the city. The proclamation reads, in part, “To decrease crimes committed by and committed against minors in the City of Vicksburg, preserve the resources of the Vicksburg Police Department, and to keep good order, any minor under the age of eighteen (18) years of age, who is unmarried and not emancipated, shall not be upon any public street, highway, park, vacant lot, establishment, or other public place within the city from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. beginning June 24, 2022.”

Exceptions to this proclamation include:

a. The minor is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian;
b. The minor is involved in an emergency or is seeking medical treatment;
c. The minor is traveling to or from work (the minor must carry written evidence of employment);
d. The minor is attending an activity sponsored by a school, religious or civic organization, by a public organization or agency, or by another similar organization or entity, which activity is supervised by adults, and/or the minor is going to or returning from such activity without detour or stop; or
e. The minor is exercising First Amendment rights provided by the United States Constitution, such as the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and the rights of assembly.

To view the entire proclamation, click here.

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