St. Augustine Beach staff to draft narrow curfew authority after police recommend local option for emergencies

The city's police chief raised the topic of a city-level curfew on June 2, saying staff had found the city had been reliant on the county to issue curfews during states of emergency and that a narrowly tailored local authority would provide a useful backstop.

The chief described instances — including recent storm response — when all officers were deployed and no county curfew was issued, complicating operational control. "This wouldn't be something that's used every day," the chief said, adding it was envisioned as a narrowly applied tool during natural disasters or limited man-made emergencies.

Commissioners generally supported exploring a narrowly tailored ordinance but asked the city attorney to draft specific language and to review how other small Florida municipalities structure similar authority. Commissioner concerns included preventing future abuse of a new authority and ensuring appropriate checks (for example, mayoral consultation or clear emergency triggers).

The city attorney noted state law provisions the chief cited as authorizing curfew powers and said he would prepare a draft ordinance for a future meeting. Commissioners also asked staff to review sample ordinances from other small coastal cities and to ensure any proposal contained specific, limited triggers and oversight. No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the matter will return once legal language and examples are prepared.