Dozens arrested in curfew crackdown

As Hurricane Irma’s winds blew through Central Florida, law-enforcement officers arrested dozens of people on charges that they violated curfews. Orange County deputies arrested 24 people. In Polk County, deputies arrested seven people early Monday, including a 39-year-old they said was riding a bicycle near Winter Haven at 12:43 a.m.; a 27-year-old who was walking at 1:40 a.m.; and two people in a car that ran a red light at 1:25 a.m. Polk deputies also arrested three 16-year-olds accused of breaking into a Dollar General on County Road 542 West in Winter Haven on Monday night — after the storm passed — and trying to get into a cash register, a sheriff ’s spokeswoman said. Once the alarm went off, they fled. They were caught on a surveillance camera and later identified. In Flagler County, deputies arrested four men on curfew charges. “The reason for the countywide curfew is for the protection of the community,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “There are downed power lines and a lot of flooding. When it is dark and the areas are unsafe, it is best to stay indoors.”