Green Bay Police Cancel Crime Due to Weather: 'We Simply Cannot Have Any Criminals Putting Themselves in Harm's Way at Those Temperatures'

Police in Green Bay, Wisconsin, have a warning for criminals: It's simply too cold to venture outside and break the law.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a life-threatening weather warning for east central Wisconsin, and said that temperatures overnight could drop to as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chills of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Frostbite can occur quickly, and even hypothermia or death can occur if precautions are not taken," said the service.

Police in the Lake Michigan city took the unprecedented step of "banning crime" as temperatures plummeted.

"With the wind chill warnings, we simply cannot have any criminals putting themselves in harm's way at those temperatures," Police Chief Andrew Smith told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Avoiding crime and criminal activities is especially important during periods of inclement weather. Also during all other times."

In a tongue-in-cheek message, the department said in a statement it was taking "the unprecedented step of canceling all criminal activities in the City of Green Bay until further notice."

However, Smith said in the statement that police would not be deterred from arresting those who chose to brave the weather and violate the "ban."

"With the ban on all criminal activities, crooks, criminals and miscreants of all kinds are hereby put on notice that failure to comply will result in citations, arrests, or even jail time," he said.

"This official ban on illegal activities will continue until the official criminal activity ban is rescinded formally by the Police Department. Please monitor our Facebook site for any updates."

On Tuesday, Wisconsin Public Radio reported that schools, municipalities and businesses across the state would be closed Wednesday as the dangerously cold weather approached.