Newport ready for Fourth revelry

June Casagrande

The word is out that the city is determined to curb Fourth of July

crime and public drunkenness, but city leaders say it could be a few

years before all the bad apples get the message.

“I suspect that the situation will be improved this year,

hopefully significantly,” said Paul Watson, vice president of the

West Newport Beach Assn., a homeowners group that supports the city’s

measures to reduce problems that have plagued West Newport. “Like

Palm Springs and Huntington Beach, it will take a while to get the

message out. I just think it’ll take several years for us to achieve

the result that we’re hoping for.”

That result, city leaders say, is a safe, fun Independence Day

free of the violence and other crimes that resulted in about 160

arrests last year.

City Council discussions in April and May that brought in some

tough new ordinances also brought a lot of media attention. Some hope

that this publicity will change Newport’s image as a place to get

rowdy on the Fourth. As in other years, the city will create a

“safety enhancement zone” from 12:01 a.m. July 4 to 3 a.m. July 5

between 32nd Street, Newport Boulevard, Coast Highway and 54th

Street.

But this year, some fines will triple, and about 60 more police

officers will be on patrol, bringing the number to about 200. Liquor

deliveries to the area will be off limits that day, and retailers are

no longer allowed to sell liquor out of their parking lots.

“I think the word’s out there now: ‘Yeah, come on down. But you’re

going to have to behave yourself,’” said Mayor Steve Bromberg, who

like other city leaders said that the city still welcomes visitors

and peaceful partying.

The increased police presence will likely skew the arrest figures

in a way that makes the problem look worse, Watson warned. But more

arrests might not mean more crime. On the contrary, officials are

hoping there will be a lot less.

Because the holiday kicks off a three-day weekend and because the

weather is likely to be nice, there’s a good chance that large crowds

will come to Newport for the Fourth. That’s not a problem, officials

say, as long as violence, noise, public urination and other problems

don’t persist.

“The publicity that has been put out by our enforcement activities

has planted a seed in people’s minds that if they want to come here

and have good clean fun, that’s wonderful and we welcome them, but if

they want to come here and have drunken fights, this isn’t the place

to be,” City Manager Homer Bludau said. “It probably won’t affect the

numbers that may be coming into the community. I think that it may

have that effect next year when people see we mean business.”

Councilman Tod Ridgeway said he believes that promoting owner

occupancy in an area that is now composed mostly of rentals could

provide a long-term solution.

“This year, I’m not sure how much the word has gotten out,”

Ridgeway said. “We want to deter this behavior in future years as

well, and moving toward owner occupancy is the way to do that.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].