Fourth of July crackdown gets serious in Hermosa Beach
Enjoying the barge fireworks display off Torrance Beach viewed from PV. Photo by Ian Bisco Hermosa Beach residents got a stern warning in the mail on April 18 from interim Chief of Police Steve Johnson about new Fourth of July policies. “I am writing to ask for your help in protecting the public’s safety and the rights of all the city’s property owners and residents on the Fourth of July,” Johnson wrote. “As you may know, this holiday draws large crowds to Hermosa Beach, and the city has become a favorite destination for boisterous parties that can cause disturbances and impact public safety.” He went on to explain that this year, the city is asking everyone to work together to make it a happy and safe holiday. According to Johnson, last year the HBPD responded to 244 incidents, a leap from the 2008 – 2012 average of 180. Additionally they responded to 31 emergency incidents. “We ran out of jail space,” said Johnson at an earlier council meeting, citing the 18 drunk in public arrests made throughout the day. “We had to let some people out early because we had some people in a worse state, some were sobering up while some were more heavily intoxicated.” In mid-February the city…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com