- Mounted Sheriff’s Department Deputies descended on Hermosa Beach around 10 a.m. on July 4, 2013. Photo
Many Hermosa Beach residents got a warning by phone around 4:30 p.m. on June 26 from the Hermosa Beach Chief of Police Michael McCrary via the emergency alert system cautioning both residents and visitors to behave this Fourth of July.
“I am calling to let you know that the Hermosa Beach police will be working hard to protect the public’s safety in our city on the Fourth of July,” the automated message said. “As you may know, unruly crowds and intoxicated individuals have endangered themselves and the public on this holiday in previous years….This Fourth of July will be different in Hermosa Beach.”
He went on to say that they will be tripling the number of law enforcement personnel in Hermosa Beach starting at 10 a.m. on July 4. The fines for drinking in public will be tripled beginning July 1.
“I think there will be a lot of people as always,” HBPD Lt. Garth Gaines said in an interview. “Hopefully they’ll be a little better behaved this year because we’ll have more officers out and we’ll be tough on drinking.”
In mid-February the Hermosa Beach City Council authorized the HBPD to hire 50 additional L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputies, including horse-mounted officers, 4-wheel drive vehicles and undercover officers. Over 100 officers will be in the community on July 4th, McCrary said. The council also approved the department’s request to add two paramedic ambulances along with additional fire engines, an emergency medical technician, and an additional command vehicle. DUI task force officers and representatives from the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) will also be on hand throughout the day.
“We’ll also have two L.A. county sheriff’s booking vans here and we will have it available for processing, booking, and holding people,” McCrary said. “The jail will fill up quickly if we’re not careful, so we want additional resources, like the busses.”
According to Captain Steven 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.”
Police presence in Hermosa Beach will be increased after 10 a.m. to accommodate the influx of people coming to the beach to celebrate the holiday. The police will also focus on enforcing public intoxication, driving under the influence, underage drinking and drinking on the beach. Violators could possibly be arrested and incur fines up to $20,000.
However, McCrary said that the Hermosa Beach Ironman event, that begins at 9 a.m. and encourages competitors to run a mile, paddle a surfboard a mile and then drink a six-pack of beer, will be left alone by officers, even though it’s a drinking-centric event that’s held on a public beach.
“There’s so much we’re trying to do,” McCrary said. “It [the Ironman] is not something that I have the resources to put into this year. It’s the long-term issues I’m looking at and trying to address; I’d hate to pull a lot of resources away from what else we’re trying to do.”
Underage party activity will be monitored through Twitter and Facebook, and celebratory noise will be also watched. The city also invoked a code that triggers sizable fines on property owners for loud parties, whether or not they are present at the time the police arrive.
“Underage drinking is going to be a main focus,” McCrary said. “If we see any evidence whatsoever of underage drinking or intoxication, we’ll be very proactive as far as taking action. They won’t be warned; if they’re under 18 they will be taken into custody and released only to their parents.”
In a YouTube video released to the public in May, the HBPD warned minors of the consequences of drinking on the beach. The video explained that if they are over 18, a $200 citation can be issued and minors will require a parent or guardian’s presence to get out of jail. Even possession of an open container can result in a citation and arrest.
“The big thing with the underage drinking is you can lose your driver’s license for a year and we fully intend on notifying DMV of any underage drinking violations,” said McCrary.
Last year raucous behavior and excessive public drunkenness resulted in an increased number of emergency medical calls, including 11 cases of alcohol intoxication, and 16 injuries related to alcohol consumption, according to the Hermosa Beach Fire Department.
“We want people to come here and enjoy the holiday and the beach,” McCrary said. “This year the city’s made a commitment to safety and [we] expect people to behave.” ER
