It’s a busy holiday for police

Marisa O’Neil

The Fourth of July in the often wild streets of West Newport has

stayed somewhat tamer in the last couple years, and authorities want

to keep it that way.

Raucous parties, alcohol-fueled fights, water gun battles and an

influx of out-of-towners used to mean hundreds of arrests in Newport

Beach every Fourth of July. Trouble has dropped -- but not

disappeared -- since 2003 when the city first declared West Newport a

“safety enhancement zone” for the holiday.

That means fines for any citations are triple what they would be

any other day.

“In the last two years, we’ve been able to refine our deployment

program,” Newport Beach Police Sgt. Bill Hartford said. “We’ve seen a

reduction in the number of arrests.”

Last year, officers arrested 113 people during the holiday, up

slightly from 2003.

But it was far fewer than in the past.

In 2001, police arrested 193 people. During the 1980s, 300 arrests

on the Fourth of July wasn’t unusual.

Police last year wrote 700 parking tickets and another 700 tickets

for various other offenses, Hartford said. Most arrests and citations

are alcohol-related, he said.

Having an open container of alcohol on public property, for

example, can get someone arrested, he said.

Most of those arrested last year -- about 80% -- were from out of

town, police said.

“It’s always been busy on the Fourth of July,” Hartford said.

“It’s warm; it’s the beach; everyone wants to come.”

More than 200 officers from Newport Beach, the California Highway

Patrol, Orange County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies will

patrol the area. Teams of four officers will be assigned to areas on

Balboa Peninsula.

Portions of Seashore Drive and eastbound Balboa Boulevard will be

closed to all but pedestrian and bicycle traffic, as in years past.

Newport Beach lifeguards will be treating the holiday as a busy

weekend day, Capt. Eric Bauer said. Last year, about 75,000 people

hit the beach, but lifeguards only had to make about 20 rescues,

Bauer said.

The Newport Beach Fire Department will have one extra firefighter

on duty and an extra ambulance available, spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz

said.

All fireworks -- including the safe-and-sane variety -- are

illegal in Newport Beach.

But in Costa Mesa, it’s legal to set off safe-and-sane fireworks

between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., so long as they are used properly.

That means setting them off on private property, not on the street

or in parks, Costa Mesa fire-prevention specialist Brenda Emrick

said. And when you do set them off, make sure they’re at least 15

feet away from people, buildings or anything overhead, she said.

Police and firefighters will be on the lookout for illegal or

improperly used fireworks.

Last year, the city spent some $24,000 on cleanup and extra public

safety staffing, Emrick said.

Police and fire officials recommend attending a public fireworks

display instead of the backyard variety.

The Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort will begin its public

fireworks display at 9 p.m. Monday.