The seemingly annual tradition of large parties gathering at Marine Street Beach on summertime holidays continued this month when crowds of youths were seen there over Independence Day weekend.
But some local residents and the San Diego Police Department disagree about the severity of the behavior of those who were there. A resident called it “the worst we have ever seen,” while police said “the crowds were managed effectively.”
The situation
According to one resident, thousands of teenagers and college students packed the beach July 4, leaving “mountains of trash” behind, throwing glass bottles onto the sand and rocks, setting up a DJ booth with a generator and openly drinking alcohol.
“I was verbally harassed and threatened with violence for simply walking by,” said the resident, who requested anonymity in the interest of safety. “No action was taken” when the beach-goers encountered police, the resident said.
“Marine Street Beach is becoming overrun by massive unsanctioned parties fueled by social media,” the resident contended. “This past Fourth of July was the worst we have ever seen. I’ve never seen anything like what happened … at any beach in California in my life. …
“This has been getting worse each year. … For the past five years I’ve witnessed every Fourth of July party grow bigger than the last.”
Area residents often pick up the trash the day after the Fourth of July as part of a “community cleanup” effort.
But, the resident said, “this is not just about trash. It is about public safety, underage drinking, broken glass, threats and the reality that word is spreading that Marine Street Beach is a place where there are no rules or consequences. It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse.”
Marine Street Beach has few entry points, giving it relative seclusion. (Ashley Mackin-Solomon)
The response
In the context of all of San Diego’s beaches, police said they consider the Marine Street gathering to be less significant and impactful than at other coastal areas.
“All of the coastal communities experienced a significant number of visitors over the Fourth of July weekend,” said SDPD Lt. Bryan Brecht. “Beach and bay safety is our No. 1 priority. … We staffed approximately 120 to 130 officers daily in staggered shifts.
“With alcohol being one of the main contributors of rowdy behavior, we take a strong enforcement posture with it. Over the weekend, our officers issued 440 citations for beach and traffic violations on land and 48 citations on the bay.”
At least one citation was given on July 4 at Marine Street Beach, where “we staffed a mobile command post and had our motor officers and parking enforcement patrol the area,” Brecht said. “Park rangers assisted our officers, walking the sand looking for and enforcing violations at Marine Street Beach. We had a dedicated drone unit staged at the command post monitoring the area from above.
“The teamwork with all involved was seamless, the crowds were managed effectively and there were no significant events.”
San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla, agreed, noting the Police Department’s command post and a tent on the sand at Marine Street Beach.
“No major incidents were reported on July 4,” LaCava said. He declined to comment further.
The history
The Independence Day crowd was one of a few that have drawn residents’ ire recently.
In a high-profile incident over Memorial Day weekend, a “Fight Club”-style melee broke out at Marine Street Beach, resulting in one person being seriously injured.
Up to 500 people, most of them teenagers, gathered May 24 after “someone advertised online a ‘Fight Club’ type of event,” Brecht said at the time. “Kids from all over showed up. It sounds like at first the kids were boxing on the sand … but as the day went on, a few other fights, not so organized, occurred. There was alcohol involved and a few citations were issued.”
Residents reported seeing police on the ground and in a helicopter circling overhead telling the crowd to disperse, which it eventually did by about 8 p.m., residents said.
Marine Street Beach, which has low visibility from the street, often has been used as a hangout by local youths, with some of the gatherings involving alcohol or ending in fights.
“It’s a smaller beach and fills up quickly,” Brecht told the La Jolla Light this week. “The area is secluded with a couple of entry points (Marine Street, Sea Lane, etc.) and backs up to residences. With the few access points, our presence is known upon arrival and any illegal activity is easily hidden.”
Proposed solution
As a solution, the resident suggested increasing enforcement against underage drinking and writing more citations.
“I’m sure word would spread and this behavior would be under much better control,” the resident said. “The best-case scenario would be to contain these parties to a level that isn’t out of hand. I realize this is subjective. I just want to make sure our community is safe and our beaches don’t continue to get trashed.”
But Brecht said “large gatherings on the beach are inevitable, especially in such a beautiful place as Marine Street Beach. We cannot regulate how many people go to the beach, and we can’t assume everyone is there to engage in illegal activity.”
“I’ve been down there conducting enforcement when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in what sometimes feels like standing room only,” he added. “Our officers conduct enforcement, but they must witness a violation occurring.” ♦