Last week, about 40 local residents gathered to declare the Charlie Saikley Six Man Volleyball Tournament everything from “no law day” and “total chaos,” to “defaming” Charlie Saikley.
Eve Irvine, chief of police of the Manhattan Beach Police Department, called the meeting to hear from residents as she prepares a report on the event, which drew in an estimated 65,000 people this year, to present to city council on September 20.
Irvine noted that the police made 35 arrests this year, more than last year, but that they also had more personnel patrolling the event.
Irvine herself even made an arrest – while driving, she noticed a woman in the middle of Manhattan Beach Boulevard in her own vomit. When the police went to pick her up, the woman urinated on herself. “I’m thinking, ‘If the chief of police has to make an arrest, that’s pretty bad,’” Irvine said, objecting to resident George Kaufman’s declaration that it was “no law day.” Kaufman thought the police were spread too thin and had trouble enforcing the law.
Bob Holmes, a 40-year resident, said that he and his wife were awakened by someone breaking beer bottles on their front porch at 2 a.m. “It’s an inappropriate necessity that we have to use our resources – police, fire, paramedics, uniformed services – in this manner instead of being up on the highway, being up at the mall being ready for other calls,” he said.
Holmes suggested the event be held independent of the International Surf Festival and after Labor Day – as that’s when students return to college, he said. He also suggested attempting to cut crowds by cutting teams.
Duke Noor, a lifelong resident, suggested the city “take a break” from the event next year by canceling it and possibly starting it up again the following year.
Kathy Smith, a 10th Street resident, was upset by the noise and rowdy behavior occurring nearby, and at points, on, her property. Two women were snorting cocaine in her yard, she said, and while she piled garbage in the alley to prevent people from walking through, people still managed to use her backyard as a toilet. “It was a nightmare for us,” she said.
Residents noted that on the beach, the partying was controlled, but the rowdiness and noise moved to the residential areas. Irvine heard about people renting their patios for $10,000 for the weekend, she said.
Irvine did not approve any permits for amplified sound for the weekend. “None were approved and none will get approved in the future,” she said.
But lacking a permit doesn’t necessarily prevent someone from having a party. “Of course, parties pop up at other places,” Irvine said.
Smith noted that some party hosts rented Porta Potties because they weren’t letting partygoers use bathrooms inside the homes. “Our ocean view was Porta Potties for the entire weekend,” Smith said, adding that when the lines got too long for attendees, they would use streets and backyards in the neighborhood to urinate. “This is not acceptable behavior,” she said.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Irvine responded, noting that since it’s her first Six-Man, “it’s a learning curve for me as well.”
Kaufman was faced with people trying to use the bathroom in his home. “(They were) coming aggressively, asserting, like they have a right to use our bathroom,” he said, adding that he would like to see the event canceled or moved to another weekend. Others suggested that the event be moved to Hermosa Beach.
Councilmember Wayne Powell empathized with residents. “Kathy said, ‘Why don’t you sit on our deck for a while,’ and I did, and I was horrified,” he said. “The problem is not on the beach, it’s elsewhere.”
Resident Bill Victor is an advocate for canceling the event. “I felt like I had to sleep with one eye open the whole time,” he said, adding that he does not think the police force is large enough to control the event. “As a lawyer, I don’t take a case if I can’t handle it; the fact is, you can’t handle it,” he said to the police.
