Huntington’s Fourth of July Challenge : The City Has Improved Its Police Response but Must Find More Ways to Stop Violence

Each Fourth of July in Huntington Beach has been a bit better, yet each of the last three has ended with fighting, fires and massive arrests.

This year the police mobilized 225 of their 232 officers and called in backups from the Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol. The overtime bill is likely to be enormous when it is finally calculated. Yet even with such a massive show of force, one person was shot to death and more than 100 people were arrested for violations that included public intoxication, possession of fireworks and vandalism.

That raises the question of what the city can do to stop the violence.

Scrubbing what the city calls the largest Independence Day parade west of the Mississippi would not by itself seem to be the answer. After all, the disturbances started hours after the parade was over. Even the early hours after the pier and beaches were shut down at 8 p.m. were relatively peaceful. Not until the hours before midnight did the crowds begin their hooliganism. Police did a good job of shutting down the downtown area and merchants there cooperated by closing up shop early. However, the outbreaks occurred north of downtown; police cannot be everywhere.

The limitations on police must weigh heavily on Huntington Beach residents as they determine what to do to avoid a repetition of the violence next year. Consideration can be given to an earlier curfew and to halt sales of alcohol. Perhaps party permits should be required for gatherings of more than a few people. Maybe more streets should be blocked off to all but residents.

Like most cities, Huntington Beach prides itself on its ability to solve its own problems. The Fourth of July disturbances are a problem for the whole community, not just the police, merchants and residents plagued by the hooligans who trampled yards and burned sofas and trash cans.

It will take a communitywide effort to decide how to cope with the violence. Police received special crowd control training this year from the Los Angeles Police Department and officers said it helped. They started strict curfew enforcement weeks ago to send the message that they wanted a calm Independence Day.

Despite the death, city officials said the violence this year was less than last year, and much less than two years ago, when conditions deteriorated into a riot. So there has been progress that can be built on. But more needs to be done and the city has to spend the coming year finding the answers to the questions.