Police arrest beachgoers for disruptive behavior in Boston, Revere as weather warms up

Multiple arrests at two local beaches over the weekend marked one of the first warm weekends of the year and highlighted some of the unique challenges New England beaches face.

On Saturday, police made seven arrests at Revere Beach and five arrests at Carson Beach for assault and disorderly conduct, among other charges. The arrests were made as police tried to disperse crowds after closing.

Police also made 10 arrests at a large gathering at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire on Saturday that became disorderly.

On Sunday, police arrested four more people at Carson Beach for charges including assault and battery, and arrested one more person at Revere Beach who was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

For New England beaches, such conduct has become more frequent following the reopening of beaches closed in the first wave of COVID-19.

Jim Farrell, president of the New England Region of the United States Lifesaving Association, an organization of lifeguards and open water rescuers, said lack of staff at beaches contributes to the problem.

“I can't speak for a lot of other places, but I do know that between the shortness of lifeguards, the shortness of staff in general on facilities, and alcohol on beaches ... these are all issues,” he said.

Farrell said that many beach facilities in the region simply don’t have anyone on site with the authority — beyond lifeguards — to stop the negative behavior.

“One of the big differences between New England beaches and Florida, etc., they're all working as part of fire departments and [have] sworn officers and stuff on the beaches,” he said. “We just don't have a lot of that on our beaches.”

Part of this has to do with how the beaches are managed across the region, where there isn’t always a coordinated public safety effort.

“It's each individual town and what they can do and whether they're a state facility or a town facility,” he said. “Every single one is different.”

The Massachusetts State Police had extra patrols on Sunday at Carson Beach and Revere Beach following Saturday’s incidents. In a statement posted on Facebook on Sunday, their union, the State Police Association of Massachusetts, wrote that troopers who responded to fights, fireworks and underage drinking in both Carson and Revere, were themselves met with what they called criminal behavior.

“Going to the beach with family, friends and loved ones is a longtime treasured New England tradition,” the union wrote on Facebook. “Everyone should be able to enjoy the beautiful weather and beachfront at (Department of Conservation and Recreation) properties the Commonwealth has to offer.”