Police Prepare July 4 Patrols

The Hermosa Beach Police Department has begun planning now to ensure community safety for the upcoming Fourth of July.

The holiday, which lands on a Monday this year, has historically  been the busiest day for the department, according to a staff report from police Chief Greg Savelli (see accompanying report under photo.)

To prepare for this year's Independence Day, the Hermosa Beach City Council approved the Police Department's plan to hire 15 Los Angeles County deputy sheriffs and three sheriff sergeants to assist with patrolling the downtown and the Strand areas.

Funds have been previously allocated to the department for the hiring of county sheriffs when needed, according to the staff report.

"We’re going to put extra beach patrol out for that weekend," Savelli said at the council meeting, explaining that he also discussed patrol plans with police chiefs in neighboring South Bay cities. "We will all work together."

Council members weighed in that the city has faced problems in the past with monitoring drinking on the beach during the July 4 holiday, which is prohibited.

The annual , which began in 1978, has been traditionally organized on the beach during the Fourth of July, but also consists of drinking beer as the last leg of its race (the first part of the race consists of a 1-mile run and paddle out on a surfboard.)

City Councilman Jeff Duclos said that he'd be willing to go to the beach on July 4, monitor the activity, and work with city staffers to develop a strategy to curb seaside drinking.

But "it’s one of those things where, if you didn’t know about it, you wouldn’t know about it," said City Councilman Kit Bobko about the drinking issue and Ironman."If we’re going to spend our energy and effort on something, this isn’t it."

Regarding safety and enforcement concerns, "I think the [police] Chief has got this right on point," Bobko said about Savelli's Fourth of July operational plan.