Community Corner

Fines for Public Drinking Tripled July 1-7

Hermosa Beach Police and city officials want a tamer and safer Fourth of July than the beachside city experienced last year.

To that end, fines for drinking in public, having open containers of alcohol and alcohol-related fights July 1 through 7 will be tripled, said Interim Police Chief Michael McCrary, moving those fines from $100 per assessment to $300.

The actual price paid for any of these violations will be increased by established court fees, said Lt. Tom Thomspon.

The deterrent is being put in place to avoid a repeat of last year's Fourth, in which the city's jail could not accommodate all of the 24 arrested individuals. Seventeen of the arrests were made for public intoxication versus just three public intoxication arrests in 2011.

Word is spreading beyond city borders. Watch an NBC report from Hetty Chang here.


What do you think of fines for drinking in public being tripled? Will this be an effective deterrent?


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Hermosa Beach