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Police are stepping up safety measures July 4th at these Cape Cod beaches
Those celebrating in Dennis, beware.
Police are increasing safety measures at Dennis beaches this fourth of July after a history of unrest.
The Dennis Police Department and town of Dennis implemented new restrictions at Mayflower Beach, Chapin Memorial Beach, and Bayview Beach last year such as not selling daily parking passes and zero tolerance for alcohol, drugs, overly loud music, and unsafe behavior. This year, police are adding the same restrictions at West Dennis Beach.
“Last year’s Fourth of July measures made a tremendous difference,” said Dennis Police Chief John Brady, in a statement. “Families were able to relax and enjoy the holiday without disruption, and we heard overwhelmingly positive feedback. That’s why this year, we’re not only bringing the regulations back — we’re extending them to West Dennis Beach to ensure the same safe, family-friendly environment community-wide.”
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From 2019 to 2023, Dennis police say there was a “dramatic increase” in unsafe and dangerous conduct at the beaches — at Mayflower Beach in particular — that included fighting, assaults, vandalism, binge drinking, drug use, and loud music. Calls for emergency services doubled at Mayflower, Chapin Memorial and Bayview beaches, according to police, and in 2023, police responded to 459 calls for service at those three beaches.
After new safety regulations were implemented last year, calls for service decreased 75 percent year over year, to 115, and arrests dropped from 13 in 2023 to zero in 2024, reports the Dennis Police Department.
The restrictions at Dennis beaches include:
- On July 4, the town will not sell daily parking passes at Mayflower Beach, Chapin Beach, Bayview Beach, or West Dennis Beach. Only those with a residential, seasonal, or weekly parking sticker will be allowed entrance to the beach parking lots.
- Police will enforce a parking ban in the neighborhoods and businesses adjacent to the beaches on July 4. Vehicles found in violation will be ticketed and/or towed.
- Police will have zero tolerance for alcohol consumption, drug use, overly loud music, or unsafe behavior at the beaches on July 4. Officers will “be out in full numbers,” according to the police. Visitors with alcohol will face a written citation, $50 fine, and their alcohol will be confiscated.
The Dennis Police Department will have two command posts this year, at Mayflower Beach and at West Dennis Beach.
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