‘All hands on deck’: Police monitoring, enforcing restrictions on packed Cape beaches

DENNIS, Mass. — Beaches in Dennis, as expected, were packed this Fourth of July, but Cape goers are still dealing with new restrictions from police.

Cleve Daniels, deputy chief of Dennis Police, told Boston 25 Friday they’re keeping a close watch on 19 beaches across town.

“Really, our Super Bowl from a public safety perspective,” said Daniels. “We don’t allow alcohol or drugs on the beaches -- certainly don’t need any disorderly behavior on the beaches.”

The town is also restricting day parking passes at West Dennis Beach and others. Daniels told Boston 25 it’s a new restriction this year to safely monitor the masses.

He added, “Those restrictions are for public safety reasons/ They allow us to be able to police effectively, and not be overrun with the amount of people who want to come to the beaches.”

Towns like Falmouth and Chatham have rolled out similar restrictions after years of incidents and reports of unruly behavior.

“Honestly it feels less crowded than the last couple years,” said one beachgoer at West Dennis Beach Friday. "

Taryn Rogers of Taunton has been traveling to Dennis for decades.

“Once you go over the bridge it’s like fresh air,” she said. “We don’t want drinking and cups and people getting hurt.”

Now with kids of her own, she added, “It should be a celebration, just not out of control.”

Dennis Police reported a rise in incidents on the beaches between 2019 and 2023.

They reportedly responded to 459 calls in 2023 over the Fourth of July week. Restrictions implemented the next year curbed those incidents by 75%.

Daniels is asking everyone to do their part in safeguarding the beaches this weekend.

He finished, “Really just being vigilant about what’s going on around you ... being a good neighbor on the beach.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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