The Fourth of July holiday once again drew thousands of people to Hermosa Beach who descended upon the tiny beach town, making use of The Strand and the shoreline. Although police reported no major injuries or crimes and responded to fewer calls related to house parties, drinking in public continued to be a major focus for officers.

As a way of discouraging residents and visitors from drinking along The Strand and on the beach, the City Council recently increased citation fines for open container violations and drinking in public.

Drinking on the sand, in a park, on the beach or on a public right of way is illegal and fines for such a violation tripled this year. The fines are also just as hefty for possessing an open container.

This year’s Fourth landed on a Sunday with most businesses observing the holiday on Monday, so most people had a chance to socialize on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Beach-goers and party animals descended upon the beach and Strand Sunday to witness the wild environment infamous in Hermosa Beach.

According to Press Information Officer Sgt. Paul Wolcott, police arrested and booked 44 people from Friday through Sunday and issued about 180 citations ranging from urinating in public to possession of open containers. On the Fourth of July alone, officers issued about 80 tickets.

“We had a pretty quiet Fourth,” said Wolcott. “We found problems, dealt with them and took people to jail. There were a lot of people but compared with last year, it was quieter. Everyone worked really hard to make sure everyone was protected and we had a real busy but safe holiday.”

Hermosa Beach Police fielded about 671 service calls throughout the weekend, which ranked as the highest amount of calls for service than any other city in the South Bay.

People packed The Strand for essentially the entire length that runs from First Street to 35th Street, which made it difficult for local joggers, skaters and bikers to effectively use the long stretch of concrete.

Idaho native Sean Bush flew out to Hermosa Beach for the holiday weekend to visit with some friends after experiencing such a good time on Memorial Day weekend.

“I visited that weekend and I thought that was crazy but the Fourth of July in this town is unreal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this but then again, I’m from Idaho,” he said. “With so many people, it looks like this city has really gained a reputation as the place to be during the summer especially on major summer holidays. It’s seems like everyone is having a good time and I’m glad I had a chance to experience this atmosphere.”

As a way of preparing for the holiday, the Hermosa Beach Police Department deployed all of its available officers and also enlisted the help of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (15 officers) and the California Highway Patrol (two officers). The department has prepared in such a way since 2001.

The issue of holiday enforcement has been a topic of debate in recent years as residents have continued to complain about the raucous crowds. As a result, the city has expanded its municipal codes so that officers have the authority to cite people for drinking on the beach and The Strand or those who cause traffic jams along the latter.

In May, Police Chief Mike Lavin presented the Hermosa Beach City Council with his report on the holiday that outlined the department’s plan and past statistical information regarding citations and dispatch calls.

“The most active part of the day begins around 3 p.m. and continues until midnight,” stated Lavin. “The largest concentration of people is found along The Strand to Hermosa Avenue running the full length of the city.”

According to Lavin’s report, officers fielded 341 calls for service during the national holiday last year. Police arrested 38 people over the holiday weekend with 22 actually on the holiday. Officers also issued 221 citations, mostly for possession of alcohol and use of fireworks, and parking officers issued 838 citations for the weekend with 457 issued July 4.

“The strategy is twofold. First, it is our desire that law-abiding citizens see the large number of officers and feel safe as a result of that presence,” said Lavin. “Second, it is our hope that rowdy and disruptive individuals seeing the large number of officers might think twice about causing problems or even staying in Hermosa Beach.”

The annual Ironman Contest once again went off without a hitch on private property at the northern part of town on 30th Street. A group of seven or eight local men established the competition in which participants paddle their longboards in the ocean for a mile and then run on the sand for a mile. The contestants end the race by eventually chugging a six-pack of beer. Entrants who are able to hold down the alcohol for at least 20 minutes emerge as victors of the competition. The local men founded the outlandish tradition in about 1979, which still continues to this day.

“Chief Lavin met with a few people who were involved in organizing the event and he was able to talk with them. He told them they were not going to be able to have alcohol on public property and the drinking portion of the contest was to happen on private property, which it did,” added Wolcott. “There were no major incidents or problems with the event.”

Last year, the contest took place at the shoreline, which violated the city’s laws in regard to consuming alcohol on the beach. This year, the council expressed its concerns about this year’s event and required that police make sure the competition take place on privately owned land. The Ironman usually takes place in the northern part of town from about 11 a.m. to noon.

Around 8 p.m. police officers shift their focus to people setting off fireworks illegally with a lot of people leaving town around 11 p.m. following the end of the Redondo Beach fireworks show.