Police to be out in force tonight

Greg Risling

NEWPORT-MESA -- Labeled as a precautionary measure for the uncertainty of

ringing in the new year, both Costa Mesa and Newport Beach police will

have more officers on the street tonight.

Police would rather not see a big bang at the stroke of midnight or any

time thereafter, but have to prepare for the worst, they said. Costa Mesa

will have 35 officers patrolling neighborhoods as opposed to six or seven

on any other New Year’s Eve. Police Chief Dave Snowden pledged that the

community will be safe from any harm thanks to months of preparation.

“There is no reason to fear anything will happen,” he said. “We are

extremely confident that we have addressed this issue prior to New Year’s

Eve. We don’t expect any problems.”

Costa Mesa police were notified by both businesses and residents about

planned activities. Snowden said there are 11 parties scheduled New

Year’s Eve by big-name sponsors and several block parties.

Thanks to cell phones and pagers, officers not scheduled to work this

evening will be on call should they be needed. Police agencies are also

assisted by a mutual aid system that allows departments to back one

another up during a time of emergency.

Newport Beach police have some experience in preparing for a major event.

Known for its response to annual Fourth of July celebrations that have

turned violent in past years, Newport police are well-versed in handling

rowdy crowds.

“Our attitude is that people can have a good time but stay within the

boundaries of the law,” said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Mike McDermott.

“We are pretty tolerant of this stuff. We want our residents to have some

control over their parties so we don’t have to come back and break them

up.”

McDermott said the department has about 30 officers working on any given

New Year’s Eve. This year, the patrol force will be closer to 50

officers. Extra motorcycle units and special tactical teams may be called

upon for traffic accidents or major disturbances.

Although many law-enforcement officials don’t foresee any big problems

tonight, they know some people might try to get their 15 minutes of fame.

“We wanted to put a little more emphasis on getting more personnel out on

the streets,” McDermott said. “As long as residents are considerate of

others in their community, I think everything will be fine.”