Beach Revelers To Celebrate Independence Amid Extra Officers, Tripled Open-Container Fines

HERMOSA BEACH (CBSLA.com) — With thousands of people expected to celebrate Fourth of July at Hermosa Beach Monday, the city is cracking down hard anything that's not good, clean Independence Day fun.

A hundred extra officers, with 50 Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies joining the Hermosa Beach Police Department, will be on hand to monitor up and down the wildly popular Strand, including some on horseback.

Fines for open containers were also tripled from $500 to $1,500 per violation, just in time for the holiday weekend.

The city is now cracking down after having to deal with rowdy beach goers just a few years ago, Hermosa Beach Mayor Hany Fangary said.

"Ideally we want to balance the people having a good time enjoying the beach, enjoying the beautiful weather that we have, having a few drinks obviously, but maintaining the rules that we have," Fangary said.

The beach safety warnings didn't only cover alcohol. Lifeguards also urged parents to keep a close on their children, with elevated surf and strong rip currents forecast by the National Weather Service.