Fourth festivities were under control

Deirdre Newman

While most of the Fourth of July partyers in West Newport were mellow,

it got a little rowdy after dark as the all-day alcohol consumption

caught up with some of them.

Police arrested 154 people in the city late Thursday and early Friday,

mostly in West Newport, said Sgt. Fred Heinecke of the Newport Beach

Police Department.

Most of the arrests involved alcohol, and there were quite a few

fights, Heinecke said.

About 200 police officers from the city’s department, Costa Mesa

Police Department and the California Highway Patrol patrolled the area.

Heinecke said the number of arrests was similar to previous years.

“Last night, the crowd didn’t get out of hand, and the vast majority

of people had a peaceful Fourth of July celebration, so I’d say things

were going pretty good,” Heinecke said.