Falmouth and Dennis police report ‘no major issues’ after crackdown on July 4th partying

FALMOUTH, Mass. — Police in Falmouth say they will remain vigilant for the remainder of the holiday weekend, but the chief of police there reports “no major issues” during the town’s July 4th celebration. The department was on alert after seeing “unacceptable criminal activity” during last year’s celebrations.

The department had warned there would be a “zero-tolerance” policy for consuming alcohol or marijuana on town beaches this holiday.

In an update posted on Friday, Chief Jeffrey A. Lourie said he was happy to report there was no property damage reported, littering, or out-of-control issues on town beaches or in the neighborhoods.

“We did make a handful of arrests yesterday but there were no major issues like (we) dealt with last year,” said Chief Louire, “We remained busy until 3 AM responding to loud party complaints and did deal with numerous underage individuals consuming alcohol. Parents were contacted to take custody of their children and in some instances, the underage minors were placed in protective custody until a parent could take custody.”

“I would like to remind everyone that we will continue to be vigilant through the holiday weekend and the summer,” said Chief Lourie.

The chief also addressed some apparent concerns about the crackdown on social media.

“I would like to address the social media comments relating to our notification that all bags and coolers were ‘subject’ to search,’” said Chief Lourie. “We do not ‘randomly’ search these items. We search when there is cause to do so and an example would be a plain clothes or uniform officer watching someone consuming alcohol on the public beach, which is not lawful.”

“Our goal is to ensure a safe event and that our residents and visitors’ rights are not violated,” said Chief Lourie.

Police in Dennis, also issued the same zero-tolerance policy this year for July 4th celebrations.

“We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make the Fourth of July at Dennis beaches safe and fun this year,” said Dennis Police Chief John Brady in a statement.

Authorities in Dennis had said only those with residential, seasonal, or weekly parking stickers would be allowed entrance to town beach parking lots.

“We are happy to report that after the new restrictions that were put into place this year at Mayflower Beach, Chapin Memorial Beach and Bayview Beach, there were no arrests or major incidents at any of Dennis’s beaches on July 4th,” said Chief Brady.

Officers in the seaside resort town had previously responded to a spike in calls for reports of fighting, assaults, vandalism, binge drinking, drug use, loud music, and other concerning behavior.

“While they were all full yesterday, the atmosphere and spirit at the beaches were markedly different than in years past. We saw a refreshing return to the family-friendly and welcoming atmosphere Dennis beaches are known for,” said Chief Brady.

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