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Hampton Police Chief David Hobbs told Selected Men on Monday night that the recent arrests and large crowds are not a reflection of the community but are the result of social media.
There was an increased law enforcement presence on the beach on Friday and Saturday nights after the department became aware of a potentially large crowd heading towards Hampton. According to the department’s Facebook page, a total of 16 arrests were made on the two nights.
Hobbs told the board that social media is used to coordinate events that bring massive amounts of people together to come together in one place. Similar large gatherings were planned on Massachusetts beaches in Revere on Saturday and in Plymouth on Sunday, the chief said.
“It’s not just the Hampton Beach problem. It’s the trend happening across the country.”
Hobbs said his goal was to protect people, property and make sure no one was hurt.
“We’re increasing our level of visibility there. When people come to Hampton Beach, we want them to feel safe. They love to see us. I think it’s been a success. It took a lot of effort. , a lot of coordination.
State Police as well as departments in several surrounding towns, including the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Epping, Exeter, Portsmouth, Seabrook and UNH, have made up the increased presence, according to Hobbs. But he gave the most credit to his own department.
“When there is a problem in this community or something that needs to be fixed, it is the men and women of the Hampton Police Department who step in and deal with that problem. We could not have been as effective as we are. was to solve these problems, if not for these officers, ”said Hobbs.
Co-Chair Chuck Rage and President Rusty Brindle complimented the ministry’s actions over the weekend. Rage said that as the season progresses he finds there will be fewer problems as more families come to the beach.
“You did a great job. It was great to see the state police there. It was good to see the governor committing to help us in any way he could,” Brindle said.
He said he met Governor Chris Sununu in his office looking for additional resources after a crowd of 500 gathered on the beach on May 26.
“The state police were there too. They told us ‘whatever we needed’ and they showed it to us this weekend. And it wasn’t just for this weekend. We talked. all summer, ”Hobbs said. “They are also understaffed, but they are doing what they can to set the tone. The chef has done a great job.”
Member Regina Barnes also praised the police but said the problem for her was that the city had to deal with the problems due to a 1933 agreement that made the city responsible for beach safety . Barnes also disagreed that she had attempted to “fund” the police by cutting $ 28,000 from the budget, which was the amount the support committee had exceeded.
“All this fear that I was trying to fund the police. You mean politics, there you go,” Barnes said.
She said the large crowds on Hampton Beach were not a “typical springtime” and blamed the pandemic and the way it was handled by the state.
Barnes said the 1933 agreement can be changed, but said the governor or the state parks department would discuss it publicly with the board of directors.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at [email protected] or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH
WATCH: Here are America’s 50 Best Beach Towns Every beach town has its share of pros and cons, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best place to live. To find out, Stacker took a look at data from WalletHub, released on June 17, 2020, which compares US beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The towns had a population of 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From these rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida won’t be surprised to learn that many of the cities featured here are in one of these two states.
Read on to see if your favorite beach town has made the cut.
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