Dover's curfew ended Saturday, 13 days after Mayor Robin R. Christiansen first imposed it under a citywide state of emergency.

Christiansen wrote in the executive declaration signed June 13 that the decision to rescind the curfew was made "in the best interest of the City of Dover's constituents and local businesses" based on information provided by Dover Chief of Police Thomas Johnson Jr.

The declaration did not include further details, Johnson was unavailable for comment Monday afternoon, and Christiansen did not respond to requests for comment on his decision to lift the curfew.

The curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. began May 31 and was set to continue indefinitely. While the curfew is no longer in effect, the state of emergency under which the Dover Code of Ordinances gave Christiansen authority to instate the curfew will remain in place until further notice, the June 13 declaration stated.

On June 11 and 12, respectively, Dover criminal defense attorney Adam Windett and representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware submitted letters to Christiansen criticizing the curfew, asserting it put those in the city at risk of having their First Amendment rights violated and was unwarranted considering more populous cities across the country had ended their curfews significantly earlier.

Though the May 31 declaration that put the curfew in place stated it was voluntary, Windett said June 12 he was concerned that keeping a broad curfew in place could have the potential to lead to law enforcement confronting people out past curfew who under normal circumstances would not have cause to be stopped.

"This action is taken with the highest regard for the civil and constitutional rights, as well as, the safety of all our citizens," the executive declaration concluded.