Early Beach Closures Approved For July 4 Holiday To Forestall Large Gathings

CHATHAM – Last summer, the town curtailed the open hours at public beaches over the July 4 holiday to try to forestall large, illegal gatherings that violate beach rules and regulations. According to officials, it worked.

 “We didn’t have one major gathering, as we had a year prior to last year,” Chief of Police Michael Anderson said in asking the select board to once again limit beach hours over the long Fourth of July weekend.

 So-called “beach takeovers” have continued to be problematic for towns throughout the region, Anderson said. Promoted on social media, gatherings can come together quickly and relocate to another beach when police arrive. In 2024, a gathering of several hundred people on North Beach Island on July 4 had to be broken up and several people ended up being charged with public drunkenness, lewd conduct, littering and other infractions. Because of the beach’s remoteness, breaking up the party was a “logistical nightmare,” Anderson said last year. 

 At the June 9 select board meeting, he referred to several recent incidents in Rhode Island and New Hampshire where beach takeovers resulted in arrests and assaults. On May 19, 1,200 beachgoers rioted at Narragansett, and an incident at Hampton Beach resulted in 50 arrests. A beach takeover on Nantasket Beach June 5 was preempted when authorities learned about it and put out warning notices, he said.

So like last year, town beaches will close an hour earlier than usual, at 9 p.m., on July 2, 3, 4 and 5. Anderson asked the board for authorization to do the same on other dates through Labor Day if police determine it is warranted.

Even though the department is very busy over the holiday weekend due to a higher number of calls as well as public events, as many officers as can be spared will be stationed at public beach parking lots to enforce the early closure. The closures are aimed at preventing large parties and don’t impact people who are fishing or just strolling on the beach, Anderson said.

The park and recreation commission, which has jurisdiction over town beaches, authorized the early closure. Doing so last year resulted in a “dramatic decrease in illegal beach activities — drinking, fireworks, noise, beach damage, bird harassment, overall nuisances to the neighborhood,” he said.

 “We didn’t have one major gathering as we did a year prior to last year,” Anderson said. In 2024 parties at beaches in other towns moved to Chatham as they were shut down, fueled by social media. He said that the department plans to use social media to announce the restrictions and to monitor sites to try to forestall gatherings from getting started. Gatherings of more than 10 people at most public beaches require approval by the park and recreation commission; the police chief is charged with permitting gatherings of more than 20 people on North Beach Island. Open fires and alcohol are also prohibited on town beaches.

Public safety officials recently met to plan for the weekend and discuss response plans and equipment readiness, he added. A joint exercise will be held to rehearse responses, although no date or location has yet been determined.

Anderson warned that the town may not be able to rely on state police or the environmental police to help with such incidents, as has been the case in the past.

 “There’s a lot of support agencies that we rely on in the summer, especially during the July 4 week, that are going to be unavailable to use because they’re going to be tied up providing security for the World Cup,” he said.

The select board unanimously endorsed the early beach closures.

 “It’s a sad state of affairs,” mused board member Stuart Smith.