FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Flagler County will be one of the hardest hit counties on the First Coast by Hurricane Milton. But authorities are worried about those who might try to take advantage of the situation.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said the agency will still have deputies patrolling the community in addition to officers from the Flagler Beach Police Department and Bunnell Police Department.
Staly said his suggestion to would-be looters is "Don't try it."
"We'll do everything we can to ensure your property continues to be safe when you return," Staly said. "To the criminals who think they can prey on our community, just remember during times of disaster, we have extra deputies on patrol, our real time crime center is up and functional and we have lots of cameras in this county. ... If you prey on this community you will ride out the storm at the county jail."
The county will be under a curfew from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7:30 a.m. Thursday, officials said. Staly said the curfew is issued by the county and is expected to be one night, thought it depends on the amount of flooding and damage.
Staly said the agency's marine unit is staged and ready to mobilize.
"We'll get through this together," Staly said.
Staly said 911 is for "true emergencies," criticizing emergency calls about cable outages the department has received. The department's non-emergency number is
There will also be a designated area for sexual offenders seeking shelter near the lobby of the Perry Hall Detention Facility, Staly added.