HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Beach season is back, and Huntington Beach is bracing itself for a crush of humanity on its sandy shores.

As the Fourth of July weekend descends on the land, so will the masses of inland dwellers looking for some time in the surf and ocean breeze. 

The city’s police and lifeguard services will be out in force in anticipation of huge numbers, bigger than in past years.

What You Need To Know

  • Huntington Beach police have been expecting a big Fourth of July weekend

  • Authorities have observed large than usual crowds in past months indicating this Fourth of July could be one of the biggest turnouts the city has seen

  • The entire police department will be on call, including dispatch operators

  • The lifeguard service is expecting hazardous conditions and have beefed up their presence

Thus far, police have observed heavier crowds, and the lifeguard service has seen an uptick in requests for medical aid. Neither has hard numbers, just years of experience handling large events.

The city, in recent months, has had plenty of experience handling large crowds as Black Lives Matter protests and anti-mask groups have made noise.

Huntington Beach is one of Orange County’s destination cities. It’s the fourth largest by population in the county and a top 25 in the state of California. Its Fourth of July weekend has long been popular and well attended.

The city was shocked in 2013 by a sudden riot during the U.S. Open of Surfing. A fight in the crowd spilled into general chaos and forced police to respond in riot gear completing with helmets and pepper spray. Arrests were made, and the surf competition was forced to downscale the crowd the following year.

Huntington Beach police spokesperson Jennifer Carey said there is no indication of any kind of combustible event heading into the weekend. Police officials have been monitoring social media and are confident they won’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“It could be crazy or it could be a bust — you just don’t know,” she said. “We’re really just hoping everyone behaves and makes good choices.”

The DUI units will be set up, and dispatchers, anticipating high call volumes, will be busy. Carey expects many of those calls to be noise complaints over fireworks, which she said are non-emergency calls and should be directed elsewhere.

The department has about 230 sworn officers and Carey said even off-duty officers will be on call. All three mounted units will be trotting around town and the helicopter unit the city has will be available. The city’s police will also be available to other cities, and vice versa should large-scale disruption emerge. 

The weekend, as always, will be loaded with fireworks and festivities — among them is the Fourth of July parade and fireworks.

Eric McCoy, a Huntington Beach Fire Department spokesperson, also expects a huge crowd.

“The parking gates open at 5 a.m. and there will be a line waiting before that,” he said.

Lifeguards will be out in greater force, too, and all three of the marine services 29-foot boats will be deployed. They’re expecting hazardous conditions all weekend based on National Weather Service reports. They’re expecting strong rip currents and waves of three to five feet.

“It’s an all hands on deck for us,” he said.