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Houston police to enforce city park closures Easter weekend
The City of Houston has closed down city-operated parks during Easter weekend in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19.
HOUSTON - Houston Police are enforcing park closures throughout the city for Easter weekend.
“Parks are closed,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “If you violate that, you’re going against the laws that we have in place.”
In addition, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo also closed parks in the county.
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On Friday, police were noticeable patrolling parks throughout Houston. Drinking fountains were covered with black garbage bags, orange cones blocked pathways, and police stood outside cars telling people to avoid trails.
While many seemed surprised by the new rule, there were less people out running/walking compared to a normal Friday evening.
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“I thought it was kind of weird because it’s such a pretty day outside,” said one woman running. “There’s not a lot of people out.”
Police say they can issue citations and fines for those that don’t follow the new closure rules.
“We will be on foot, on bicycles, on specialized vehicles, and on horseback,” said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. “Please obey that closure. We don’t want to have to enforce that action.”