50 arrested at "Hampton Beach Takeover" events in New Hampshire on first summer-like day of year
Temperatures soared Tuesday for the first time this year in New England, and it brought scores of people to beaches around the region. In several communities that also led to crowd control issues.
Police at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire said they arrested dozens of people for various incidents at the crowded summer destination.
"Hampton Beach Takeover" arrests
Police Chief Alexander Reno said there were two separate "Hampton Beach Takeover" events as well as multiple school skip days that were scheduled for Tuesday, which brought thousands of people to the beach.
Reno said that in recent years, the takeover events, which are planned on social media, bring large groups to Hampton Beach and "devolve into drinking, fighting disorderly and generally unsafe behavior."
Just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, New Hampshire State Police posted on social media that they had deployed their Special Events Response Team to the area to help the Hampton Police Department with an unlawful assembly.
"While Troopers are committed to ensuring the safety of all beachgoers, any observed criminal behavior could lead to citations or arrests," police posted. "We encourage everyone to enjoy the beach and nice weather responsibly."
Reno that that around 4 p.m., rain began to fall and hundreds of people sought shelter in the nearby Casino Ballroom overhang. A short time later, several fights began to break out throughout the area. That is when Reno declared an unlawful assembly. Police were able to restore order about an hour later.
When the rain stopped and the sun came back out, police began to see a resurgence of the groups. Around 8:20 p.m., officers formed what they call a "skirmish line" for the second time, and cleared the area by 9:40 p.m.
No serious injuries were reported.
Police chief says Hampton Beach is safe
Hampton police said that officers responded to a total of 127 calls for service on Tuesday, leading to 50 arrests.
Among those arrests, 18 people were charged with unlawful possession of alcohol, 13 were with riot, five with minor transporting alcohol, three with driving under the influence, and one with second-degree assault.
"Hampton remains a safe community with a lot to offer visitors. The public can expect to continue to see a large police presence at the beach this summer as we continue to strictly enforce our laws," Reno said.
There have been issues in recent years with crowds and violence at Hampton Beach, Revere Beach and other coastal communities during the summer months.
Beach chaos also led to arrests at Narragansett Beach in Rhode Island on Tuesday at about 3 p.m.
Three people were hospitalized and two face charges.
Police said all three people suffered minor stab wounds. There were several fights during the rush to leave the beach, and that is when two arrests were made.
