‘Complete totally different inhabitants.’ Burned Satisfaction flag, arrests for Fourth of July week in Dennis

DENNIS PORT — New Fourth of July beach restrictions in Dennis seem to have resulted in calmer shorelines than years previous, however holiday problems endured off the sand.

The night time of July 4 was busy in Dennis Port, based on Dennis Police Lieutenant Peter Benson. Sailing Cow restaurant proprietor Robyn Thibodeau referred to as police to Glendon Highway Seashore round midnight as a result of she heard glass breaking. Elsewhere police arrested two folks —one for an alleged home incident and the opposite for an alleged driving beneath the affect. One other individual faces a cost of assault and battery. None have been beach-related actions, Benson stated.

“Lots of people we have been coping with yesterday and have discovered for the final three years aren’t native,” Benson stated. “We ask the place they’re coming from. They’re from throughout Massachusetts.”

Dennis has skilled an uptick in unsavory beach behavior the previous few years, a lot in order that the city instituted new restrictions this year.

“A complete totally different inhabitants is available in in the summertime,” Thibodeau stated. “We’ve at all times had youngsters. They simply weren’t damaging. I don’t get it.”

Police are investigating a burned Satisfaction flag taken Tuesday from the restaurant, which is throughout the road from Glendon Highway Seashore.

Dennis seashore restrictions for the Fourth of July

Solely beach pass residents might park at Mayflower, Chapin and Bayview seashores on the Fourth of July. Nobody-day passes have been bought at these seashores. Passenger drop-offs have been restricted.

Benson manned a visitors management level close to Route 6A on the best way to the northside, or Cape Cod Bay, seashores. He estimates he turned away about 250 vehicles full of individuals in 4 hours. Benson and different officers on responsibility have been in place to make ride-hailing service drivers drop passengers off at a degree 1.5 miles from the seashores.

The restrictions have been put in place after consuming, littering and unruly conduct the previous few years, primarily on the northside seashores.

West Dennis Seashore noticed extra police presence when teams of younger folks holding “Oklahoma drills” brought on some concern to households and kids. Benson likened the drills to soccer drills with out the pads. The younger males have been loud, rowdy and hitting one another, he stated.

“If you happen to’ve received a family-friendly seashore, to place that in the midst of it’s simply not applicable,” Benson stated.

Police finally closed West Dennis Seashore when the parking zone was full. Benson stated he’d by no means seen so many beachgoers in 35 years. All seashores in Dennis have been at capability, based on Benson.

Burned Satisfaction flag in Dennis

The Sailing Cow restaurant was packed on Friday morning with a line of individuals ready on the door. Thibodeau stated she and her crew have been very busy with the onslaught of July 4 guests and vacationers. However when somebody took a Satisfaction flag from the restaurant and burned it throughout the road at Glendon Highway Seashore, Thibodeau stated it added to the vacation stress.

“It was powerful,” she stated, watching over the 86-seat restaurant on Friday. “We open our doorways to everybody. It’s unlucky there’s a lot racism and hate.”

An worker seen the flag lacking after 10 p.m. Tuesday. Whoever stole it set it aflame within the parking zone throughout the road. Thibodeau confirmed the place fireplace had burned holes within the flag and melted a sock to the material. Dennis police are investigating the incident.

“If somebody thought this was humorous, it wasn’t humorous,” she stated. “It wasn’t humorous in any respect.”

Murphy’s Basic Retailer in Harwich Port donated a Satisfaction flag to the Crusing Cow after they heard of the burning. It was waving within the ocean breeze Friday throughout from Glendon Highway Seashore, maintaining firm with all the opposite flags hanging from the posts.

Denise Coffey writes about enterprise, tourism and points impacting the Cape’s residents and guests. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com . 

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This text initially appeared on Cape Cod Instances: No Dennis beach arrests July 4, but problems popped up off the sand