O.C.’s Coastal Cities Gird for July 4 Throngs

Police officers throughout coastal Orange County will take to the streets on foot and bicycles, in squad cars and all-terrain vehicles and even in helicopters this weekend, determined to prevent the kinds of melees that have marred Fourth of July weekends in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach the past two years.

With hundreds of thousands of people expected at beaches and festivities along the coast, police patrols--augmented by reserve officers, undercover agents, detectives and others--will strictly enforce curfews, seeking to control parties before they escalate into confrontations like one that was broken up by riot police in Huntington Beach last year.

“We want to discourage what happened last year,” said Huntington Beach Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg, whose entire 230-member force will be on duty throughout the weekend. “We’re prepared as we can be. We’re going to be damned busy this weekend.”

Police in Huntington Beach battled revelers last year after hundreds of people built a bonfire fueled by furniture, cardboard boxes and garbage cans. Two years ago, Newport Beach experienced near-riot conditions that resulted in the arrests of more than 200 people in two days.

“Up until last year, the Fourth of July was near-riotous conditions,” said Bill Schonlau, former president of the West Newport Beach Assn. “It was like Times Square on New Year’s Eve--wall to wall drunks, totally out of control.

“The police are gaining . . . an upper hand in this thing.”

Huntington Beach will close its beaches two hours early on Independence Day. In Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Seal Beach and San Clemente, beach curfews will be strictly enforced. If there are problems, police warn, early curfews may be imposed on Friday, Saturday or Sunday as well.

Huntington Beach officials are expecting an estimated 325,000 people to visit the three beaches within city limits on July 4 alone. An additional 250,000 spectators are expected at the city’s annual parade.

More than 175 arrests were made and 300 bicycles were impounded during the holiday weekend in Huntington Beach last year. Lowenberg said many revelers used stolen bikes to get around the crowded area, then left them behind.

Officers will have riot gear readily available this year, Lowenberg said, adding, “I hope we don’t have to use it.”

Police also will be given the option of using tear gas to break up crowds that get out of control. But Lowenberg said tear gas will be a last resort, because shifting winds at the beach could spread the gas into nearby neighborhoods.

Tactical teams--consisting of a lieutenant, two sergeants and 20 police officers--will be ready to act quickly in any problem area.

“We’re just going to try and keep it as safe as we can so everybody can enjoy themselves,” Lowenberg said.

Loretta Wolfe, co-chair of the Downtown Residents Assn., which was formed after last year’s problems, said she is satisfied with the Police Department’s preparations this year.

“We’re happy that the message has gone out for people to be responsible if they come to Huntington Beach,” Wolfe said. “But if they think they can come here and get out of control, light fires and irresponsibly shoot illegal fireworks and threaten the security of our homes, they have another think coming.”

Newport Beach police also have implemented a series of measures to curb violence and out-of-control celebrations.

The city’s 140 sworn police officers and 21 reserve officers, joined by 12 Orange County sheriff’s deputies and 38 California Highway Patrol officers, will be deployed in 12-hour shifts on Monday, Sgt. Andy Gonis said.

Uniformed officers will be assigned to foot beats, special four-officer tactical teams will respond to loud party complaints, plainclothes officers will be deployed in an effort to identify trouble spots early, and a large contingent of officers will be assigned to traffic enforcement, Gonis said.

The city’s 10 p.m. beach curfew will be strictly enforced throughout the weekend and a city ordinance prohibiting loud noise will be in effect. Noise ordinance violators may be fined as much as $150.

Police will block off one end of Seashore Drive and Balboa Boulevard to restrict the overflow of pedestrians and bicyclists. All city-owned parking lots on Seashore Drive and Superior Avenue and in front of City Hall will be closed at 2 p.m.

Incoming traffic will be barred from noon July 4 to 1 a.m. July 5 in a section bordered by West Coast Highway, West Balboa Boulevard, Prospect Street, 32nd Street, and the beach. The area includes Seashore Drive, the eastbound lanes of West Balboa Boulevard and the 100 block of all streets between Prospect and 32nd streets.

The westbound lanes of West Balboa Boulevard will remain open.

Police will conduct sobriety checks at an undisclosed location in the city during the holiday weekend. The checkpoint will be clearly marked, Gonis said.

“We don’t expect problems,” Gonis said. “We expect crowds but not problems. We hope for less congestion than we had before, because of the steps we took last year.”

In Laguna Beach, where there is no beach curfew for adults, police have “maximized . . . deployments,” Sgt. Ray Hauser said.

Last year, the Fourth of July weekend was marred by what appeared to be a gang-related shooting at Heisler Park near Main Beach. Over the three-day holiday period last year, police arrested 41 people, mostly on suspicion of drunk driving and possession of marijuana.

This year, officers will patrol the beach in an all-terrain vehicle “to make sure we don’t have any gang gatherings” said Deputy Chief Jim Spreine.

In Seal Beach, Sgt. Dean Zanone said the department will increase its foot and bike patrols during the weekend. Two officers will be added to patrol the beach, Main Street and the pier, which is scheduled to reopen this weekend after repairs of damage caused by an earlier fire.

Extra officers will also be deployed Monday night, when crowds are expected to converge at Seal Beach to watch the fireworks at Long Beach.

San Clemente, which expects about 75,000 people to attend its annual fireworks show in the city’s Pier Bowl area, experienced apparently gang-related drive-by gunfire last Fourth of July. Although no one was hurt, police say they are taking no chances this year.

“In this town, everyone will be on duty,” said Sheriff’s Department Lt. Tom Davis, chief of San Clemente police services. “We want to maintain a family atmosphere at all of our beaches.”

Times correspondents Lynn Franey and Shelby Grad contributed to this story.

* COSTLIER FUN IN SUN: Orange County may raise the fees at parks and beaches. B1