Newport Beach : Police Seek Measures to Curb July 4 Trouble

Anticipating a repeat performance of the rowdy crowds and public disturbances that made for an ugly scene last July 4, Police Chief Arb Campbell has asked city officials to consider a curfew and closure of streets to ensure a peaceful holiday this year.

Campbell has proposed closing Balboa Boulevard and imposing a curfew along Seashore Drive, the site of violence last July 4, when about 100 people were arrested and several police officers were injured by youths hurling rocks and bottles.

Campbell also has asked the city attorney for a ruling on whether the city can legally require property owners to rent their houses for at least one month at a time, rather than on a weekly basis.

“The problem historically has been the weekly rentals in the West Newport area, where young people congregate,” Campbell said Tuesday. “We are trying to get some cooperation from absentee property owners to be more selective and perhaps try to rent to families instead of all these young kids.”

Campbell said college-age young people have traditionally done “a lot of heavy drinking (and) held loud parties which ultimately move out into the streets and disturb the residents.”

The police chief also has asked the city to explore the possibility of billing property owners when officers respond to a disturbance at a rental property.

Campbell said he plans to ask for additional help from other county law enforcement agencies to supplement “every officer we have” for July 4, which falls on a Saturday this year.

“The primary tactical considerations will be a high enforcement profile and preventing build-up of crowds,” Campbell wrote in a report to the city manager.

“The other thing we feel may have some impact,” Campbell said, “is if we don’t think the issuance of citations for drinking in public or littering is enough, we plan to arrest people.”