Local police departments say they won’t stop people just to see if they are complying with the new Stay-At-Home order.
The new Denton County Stay-At-Home mandate went into effect overnight. It only allows for a handful of reasons why residents can leave their home, and it says that police officers are authorized to enforce it, with violators possibly facing a fine of up to $1,000 or 180 days in jail.
But local police departments are assuring residents that they won’t conduct traffic stops simply to find out where you’re going. The Flower Mound Police Department said on social media Wednesday that it received several calls from concerned residents about this.
“Please know, officers are not going to stop cars simply for being on the road and without cause,” the department said. “We know there are many people who work at essential businesses or are going to places like the grocery store during this time. Thank you for doing your part in keeping this community safe and healthy during this difficult time, as we do ours.”
City of Denton Police Chief Frank Dixon said Thursday that his officers also will not stop vehicles to determine if they are violating the order.
Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree posted on Facebook that his department isn’t “going to be stopping random vehicles without probable cause to see if you are in compliance, we won’t be setting up any roadblocks or checks or asking for any kind of “papers,” we won’t be driving up and down streets checking to see if you’re staying home, we will not I repeat not use this as a reason to stop or detain drivers.”
