Officers work to contain holiday chaos

Published 2:57 pm Monday, July 8, 2024

Fourth of July 2024 is going down as one of the most hectic in years on the Long Beach Peninsula, with many thousands flocking to the beach for what amounted to a four-day weekend. Law enforcement took the brunt of what is being described as “chaos.”

Pacific County Fire District 1 responded to 10 emergency medical services calls, two dune fires, one structure fire, and six dumpster fires. Most of the calls happened back-to-back on July 4 and tested the limits of responders.

“It was one of the busiest Fourths we have had in many years for calls and for activity even though it was on a Thursday,” Long Beach Police Department Chief Flint Wright said. “I’m not good at estimating crowds, but there were tens of thousands.”

According to Wright, this Fourth was much different than in recent years, with some at the beach engaging in what he describes as “reckless behavior.” He alone handed out three citations for negligent driving, although each could have been classified as the more-serious reckless driving.

“State Parks would have like three cars with their lights on and people were still doing stupid stuff just down the beach from them,” Wright said. “It was pretty amazing; I had never seen that much bad driving on the beach.

“I mean, there is always some, but that level was pretty shocking to me. That was probably the biggest shock that I’ve ever had for the beach,” Wright added.

The beach was a pesky enforcement task for officers, who had to balance fun and safety for beachgoers. At around 9:15 p.m. on the Fourth, officers pulled the plug on access to the beach due to an encroaching tide and a traffic deadlock of beach drivers trying to escape the madness.

At one point, two officers were caught up in the traffic jam before finally making it off the beach.

The new fireworks law in Long Beach seemed to significantly impact LBPD’s fireworks complaint calls. Most of the calls the agency got regarding fireworks were from sounds carrying in from the beach or nearby Seaview, which is in county jurisdiction and still a free-for-all.

“It was definitely quieter with the ban,” Wright said. “There is no if, and, or buts about it. I know people in Long Beach may not think it was, but it was coming off the beach. I would say 90% of the fireworks complaints we got, we would go to people and say, “Yeah, coming actually off the beach.’”

Wright and his officers responded to a few calls that were legitimate fireworks issues and chose to use this year as a chance to inform and educate individuals on the laws. He added that most of the ones they spoke to were understanding and complied.

“All things considered, I would say that was a success for quieting down the neighborhoods,” Wright added.

The weekend also had some intense intense, including an LBPD response on Loop-100 near Cape Disappointment. The agency received to a suicidal subject call in Long Beach and discovered evidence suggesting an individual was planning self-harm.

Deputy Chief Case Meling located the individual in a vehicle. Upon contact, the person began stabbing herself in the stomach. Meling was able to restrain the individual until additional responders arrived. The person was transported to a trauma center by air ambulance.

Another serious medical emergency involved a firework exploding in a man’s grasp. On social media, he reported “I have had my left hand amputated [and] pins [surgically placed] in my right hand.”

The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office also handled a substantial number of calls and was first on the scene of multiple fires. A dune grass fire a few hundred yards south of Seaview beach approach on July 4 left a blackened area about a quarter-mile long.

Wright is praising the collaborative effort and help the sheriff’s office provided during the crazy weekend. As reflected in this week’s lengthy 911 dispatch report, county officers responded to scores of calls over the holiday weekend.

“The county was really out in force, and we appreciated that,” Wright said. “They had a lot of deputies out. One of the best coverages I have ever seen from the sheriff’s office. It was really good; they must have pulled guys in and said, ‘You gotta work.’”

“It was real helpful,” he added.