REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Eric G. Parra, Interim City Manager
VIA: Eric Parra, Chief of Police
PREPARED BY: Lt. Thoby Archer and Ingrid Ono, Executive Assistant
Subject:
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Approve for introduction Ordinance No. 4317 amending Chapter 8.42 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code relating to the use of police services at loud parties or other activities
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Statement of Issue:
At this time, Huntington Beach Municipal Code (HBMC) Chapter 8.42 lacks a more comprehensive definition of “unruly or loud conduct” regarding large parties and gatherings. Specifically, the Police Department is attempting to address unruly conduct where perpetrators may be seeking refuge in a residence to escape or prevent identification. The anonymity and subsequent behavior have led to an increase of random assaults and vandalism.
Proposed Ordinance No. 4317 would amend HBMC Chapter 8.42 to expand the authority of officers to issue civil citations to residents engaged in this behavior.
Financial Impact:
There would be minimal associated implementation costs but may result in a minor increase in revenue if citations are issued.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Approve for introduction Ordinance No. 4317, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Amending the Huntington Beach Municipal Code by Amending Chapter 8.42 Use of Police Services at Loud Parties or Other Activities.”
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
In the past few years, there has been an increase in calls for service and complaints of subjects being hit by water balloons and other objects on and around the 4th of July holiday. Specifically, residents in certain neighborhoods have created a culture of throwing water balloons at passing pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. Year after year, this generates calls for service where officers are dispatched to address and handle these calls. In 2023, there were 9 calls for service during the 4th of July on one street alone, diverting several different officers on the busiest day of the year to respond to these calls. Often, residents will deny knowledge or the existence of the perpetrators, even though eyewitnesses and victims will identify their residences as the places where the violations occurred.
Huntington Beach Municipal Code section 8.42 was crafted to address such gatherings, where the occupants commit a public offense and either refuse to open the door or refuse to make the responsible party available to be cited. This has been commonplace for many years with loud party calls for service. Amending this section to include when participants and guests are throwing items into the roadway will provide officers with a resource to conduct enforcement action and promote a safer community.
Environmental Status:
This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 8 - Public Safety, Strategy A - Community-wide comprehensive risk reduction program to optimize public safety's emergency response and reduce the number of calls.
This will assist officers when responding to calls for service and may reduce the number of calls when the public is aware of the law and the potential consequences associated with violating it.
Attachment(s):
1. Ordinance No. 4317, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Amending the Huntington Beach Municipal Code by Amending Chapter 8.42 Use of Police Services at Loud Parties or Other Activities.”
2. PowerPoint presentation with calls for service in 2023 on Alabama Street for water balloons and other objects being thrown at people and vehicles.