Global Courant
The beaches of San Clemente — one of the last in Orange County open until midnight — close two hours early in the evening after a recent brawl between a group of teens and three off-duty Marines.
The San Clemente City Council voted Tuesday to close the city’s beaches at 10 p.m. effective immediately, citing how “challenging” law enforcement has become at night.
“We were one of the few, if not the only, beaches open until noon,” council member Mark Enmeier said in an interview on Friday. “This should have happened years ago, because nothing good happens after 10 p.m. on the beach.”
City officials said incidents related to public safety in the city have increased in recent weeks. But data does not indicate an increase in dangerous or criminal incidents involving youth on the beach areas, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Frank Gonzalez. He added that the new regulation will also help address noise complaints from local residents.
“The beaches after 10 p.m. have been a problem for a long time,” Councilman Steve Knoblock said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I rode with the police and officers know that this is often a problem time and a problem location.”
Over Memorial Day weekend, a group of 30 teens and young adults punched three off-duty Marines near San Clemente Pier. Five minors were arrested on suspicion of violent assault and booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall, authorities said.
Enmeier said the ordinance was in the works to comply with curfews for nearby beaches and to curb teen misconduct. But the brawl in May was the ‘tipping point’.
“This is a Marine Corps city,” Mayor Chris Duncan said at the rally. “Especially over Memorial Day weekend, this was extremely tragic and heartbreaking for our city.”
According to a city agenda report released at Tuesday’s rally, most beaches in Orange and San Diego counties close at 10 p.m., and San Clemente’s later closure “creates a situation where bad actors can congregate on city beaches for another two hours.”
Enmeier said the approximately 3,000 high school students in San Clemente should have safe places to congregate next to beach areas at night, and city officials will meet to discuss some ideas.
Officials will monitor the beach to determine whether early closure improves safety in the area before the hours are finally changed, according to the agenda report.
Although the beach now closes at 10 p.m., the San Clemente Pier remains open until midnight.
“We don’t intend to change the culture of the city,” Enmeier said. “We’re just trying to make sure our community stays safe after those hours.”
