CORPUS CHRISTI -- Police can arrest people who don't leave town under mandatory evacuation orders under a new state law that goes into effect in the heart of Texas' hurricane season.
The law was passed this year and is effective Sept. 1. It also applies to other disasters, such as fires or floods.
As it stands, officials cannot compel people to evacuate, only warn that those who stay behind won't have any emergency services at their disposal.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports the new law gives county judges and mayors the power to authorize use of "reasonable force" to remove people from the area.
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This is a common point of debate when it comes to public policy as it relates to natural disasters. Government's role, of course, is to keep people safe, but what happens when residents choose to ignore warnings? Should people be free to risk their lives in dangerous weather?
In my opinion, the big reason government feels the need to make laws like this is that the same people who ignore the warnings turn around after the fact and blame officials for not doing more. It's that lack of personal responsibility that is the real problem.
What do you think? Send me an e-mail! -JS
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