By Juan Garcia
News Director

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Hays County Sheriff’s Office will not use the curfew passed in the county judge’s stay home work safe order as the basis for traffic stops.

The curfew runs from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. and will be in effect until Apr. 10. Sheriff Gary Cutler said deputies will assume cars on the road are being used for essential business or other allowances made by the judge’s order. 

“If there is independent Reasonable Suspicion or Probable Cause to stop a driver or pedestrian, at any hour of the day, then my deputies will continue to do their jobs,” Cutler said in an official statement. 

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra passed a stay at home, work safe order on Wednesday. The order makes exceptions for any essential activities including buying food and medication, going to work at an essential business, or exercising outdoors as long as the individual observes proper social distancing measures.

Sheriff Cutler asks residents to voluntarily comply with the order, as it takes a community-wide effort to curb the impact of the virus. 

“The virus doesn’t care what time of day it is and is just as concerning at 2 p.m. as it is at 2 a.m.,” Cutler said. 

The Sheriff’s Office advises residents to stay at home unless they need to leave.