By Jondi Gumz
Crowds of people tired of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to jam the newly reopened Santa Cruz County beaches looking for a Fourth of July respite.
Three days before the holiday, and people who live near Sunny Cove beach report they are already hearing fireworks — which can start fires, cause serious injuries and are illegal in Santa Cruz County.
This year, Chief Chris Clark, a 15-year veteran with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, is overseeing the annual effort to keep the holiday safe for everyone, confiscating fireworks and dealing with problems such as open alcohol containers, which are not allowed on the beach.
“We want things safe for our families,” Clark said.
Supervisor John Leopold talks with Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chief Chris Clark during his youtube Town Hall on July 1, 2020
During a Zoom discussion with county Supervisor John Leopold Wednesday night, Clark explained why the 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. beach closure was lifted and answered questions about holiday enforcement.
The daytime beach closure, instituted May 2 and lifted June 26, aimed to discourage visitors from neighboring counties with higher COVID-19 case counts from coming to Santa Cruz County and spreading the contagious coronavirus.
Initially it worked — 500 citations issued — but as the weather got sunnier, more people headed to the beach, State Parks and the City of Santa Cruz stopped enforcing it, and deputies trying to enforce the shelter-in-place order got pushback.
Beach-goers who were told they could be cited shrugged it off, refusing to sign the citation as required and refusing to leave, telling deputies “you don’t want to drag me to your police car, that would look terrible.”
Clark agreed, “We don’t want to be in a position where we are dragging people to a patrol car.”
Leopold said the uptick in COVID-19 cases, mostly in Watsonville, is mainly due to “family contact … Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations.”
As of Thursday, the county reported 410 confirmed cases, a third of them young people ages 18-34, 17,482 negative tests, and three deaths, the latest a man in his mid90s in hospice in June. Of 150 active cases, 10 are hospitalized, including one in intensive care.
A video reminding people that fireworks and alcohol are not allowed has been posted on Facebook, where the Sheriff’s Office has 43,000 followers.
Holiday fines up to $1,000 are in effect through July 11.
22 Deputies
Clark said 22 deputies will be on beach enforcement this weekend, more than usual, covering Sunny Cove, Moran Lake, Corcoran Lagoon, the Hook and Opal Cliffs.
“I feel good about the number of people we’re going to have out there,” Clark said. “We’re going to be more visible than we ever have been.”
Deputies will greet beach-goers and remind them of the rules, which Clark said is more effective than fencing areas, which in the past created ingress-egress problems.
Sunny Cove will get extra attention with one deputy working noon to midnight Friday, two working noon to midnight Saturday, the holiday, and one working noon to midnight Sunday.
He encouraged people who see fireworks and can tell who is responsible to call 831-471-1121.
A big problem in reporting fireworks is that callers often are unable to provide a description of who’s responsible, their vehicle or their address, which gives deputies little to go on.
One resident asked Clark if $2,500 fines, as in Seaside, which also has a curfew, would be more of a deterrent.
“I don’t think so,” Clark said, calling the curfew “a Board (of Supervisors) issue.”
“We don’t need a curfew,” Leopold said.
One resident suggested a sign on Highway 17 telling visitors “no fireworks,” but that’s unlikely.
“The message has to be over the region,” said Leopold, who discussed it with the California Highway Patrol. “It’s tough sometimes to get the same message.”
Parking Woes
To a question about excessive parking by out-of-towners in neighborhood, Leopold said there have been more violations and tickets this year.
He noted the governor had closed state beach parking lots but allowed beaches and hotels to open.
Leopold said a community meeting will take place July 15 in Pleasure Point, to discuss a “Slow Streets” experiment allowing local traffic only, and if successful, could be a model for other neighborhoods.
He said there will be community meetings in August about expanding a parking program, which requires approval of the California Coastal Commission.
Leopold said he was glad to hear the wife of the late Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed on the job, gave birth over the weekend.
The Sheriff’s Office budget for next year, like all county budgets, was cut, with funding for the recovery center on hold so as to prioritize keeping deputies.
Every county employee will be on furlough, with cuts of 7.5 percent for most, 5 percent for law enforcement, and Board of Supervisors and department heads, 10 percent.
Leopold’s next Town Hall 6-7 p.m. July 8 will be with Central Fire staff about fire season prep and the merger with Aptos La Selva Fire District.
To view the Town Hall with Chief Chris Clark, see www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KEvkC7AqTI