CrimeTracker Maps Alcohol-Related Crime In Pacific Beach
September 6, 2007 2 Commentsnbcsandiego.com 09-06-07 at 11:13AM
A Labor Day riot in Pacific Beach has people calling for a ban on booze at the beach. But just how bad is the booze problem at the beach?
The News 8 CrimeFighters tallied drunk driving and drunk in public arrests over the past three months in Pacific Beach. The numbers show officers have been busy arresting drunks this summer.
Video of a near riot at Pacific Beach over the Labor Day holiday tells the story – drinking at the beach can get out of control. During the melee, police arrested 16 people and one officer was injured. Now there are calls for banning booze at all beaches in San Diego.
Some say it was the combination of large crowds and a Labor Day heat wave that led to it.
“It’s definitely gotten out of hand on the holidays – holidays especially,” one beachgoer said.
The question is, just how bad is the alcohol problem at the beach the rest of the summer?
The News 8 CrimeFighters mapped alcohol-related crime within a half mile radius of Reed Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, the site of Monday’s riot in Pacific Beach. Our CrimeTracker map shows 23 arrests for drunk driving over the past three months, and 73 people arrested for drunk in public over the summer months of June, July and August. Those numbers do not include arrests from this most recent incident.
While some say a booze ban is the answer, others wonder why the actions of a few have to ruin the fun for those who drink responsibly.
“I would be sad to see a choice whether or not to drink on the beach disappear,” a beachgoer said.
Still, most people agree something has to be done to combat a growing alcohol problem at the beach.
I am contacting this reporter because they are significantly off on their numbers. In the last two weeks for instance two checkpoints yielded 51 DUI’s alone – in just two evenings! My thinking is that the statistical map-tracking tool is not giving the definitive results. This is something I believe Crimetrackers should know about. Will report my findings later.
I am contacting this reporter because they are significantly off on their numbers. In the last two weeks for instance two checkpoints yielded 51 DUI’s alone – in just two evenings! My thinking is that the statistical map-tracking tool is not giving the definitive results. This is something I believe Crimetrackers should know about. Will report my findings later.