The Hermosa Beach City Council Tuesday night reviewed a comprehensive report from Chief of Police Mike Lavin related to officer deployment and law enforcement during the Fourth of July holiday. The council also adopted a city ordinance that forbids parties in town that are advertised to the public.

The issue of raucous holiday partying has become a matter of concern in recent years as residents have increasingly complained about the throngs of unruly visitors who descend upon the city’s beach, causing congestion along The Strand and an increase in noise from neighborhood parties.

“I think to continue with last year’s effort, we must vigorously enforce our city laws,” said Hermosa Beach Councilman Art Yoon. “I want to send a message to people that they can’t come into our city and do what they want.”

The police chief said that the crowds will always be a problem.

“Large numbers of people come into town to attend parties and to go to the beach,” added Lavin. “The fireworks show in Redondo Beach serves as an added attraction as people come to the beach in Hermosa to watch the Redondo show.”

Lavin informed the City Council of an increase in police presence as the department has agreed to contract the services of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol. Lavin will also use the maximum amount of Hermosa Beach officers, who will work overtime hours on the holiday. The cost of this deployment is about $38,000.

“The objective is to display a large police presence in the hopes of curtailing undesirable activities,” said Lavin. “We feel that our deployment plan of last year was successful and we will continue to refine the plan this year. The overall objective is to promote safety and for people to enjoy themselves but not at the expense of others.”

Participants in the annual Ironman contest will make their appearance on both the beach and The Strand near 30th Street. The department’s ultimate goal is to generate a looming police presence to deter and discourage a potential increase in crime.

Last year, the department received 433 calls in a 24-hour period. Officers arrested 12 people and issued 116 citations. Eighty-one of these violations were for the possession and consumption of alcohol in a public place.

The department hopes to take advantage of the various media resources in notifying the public on the illegal use of fireworks, and the city’s established ban on consuming alcohol on the beach and The Strand.

“I would like the department to get a jump-start early that day by officers patrolling the city beginning that morning,” explained Sam Edgerton. “The city experiences a complete transformation by noon. Every young kid from either Torrance or Lomita rides into town on their bikes and are looking to get stupid on The Strand. I want them to know that this kind of thing is not going to happen.”

In the coming weeks, the department will send an informational letter to residents who have been known to host rowdy house parties in the past. The letter will also provide residents with a list of possible violations and the fines associated with them. The department plans to place advertisement banners and placards in various areas around town, reminding residents and visitors of the illegal use of fireworks.