(Wahpeton)– Authorities are vowing to have the upper hand this coming 4th of July holiday weekend over the thousands of college-age revelers and others expected to gather at Gull Point and other state park beaches in the Iowa Great Lakes.
Kevin Szcodronski, Chief of the DNR’s State Parks Division, says their strategy is as follows:
*3 additional park rangers targeting alcohol violations each day at Gull Point.
*4 additional conservation officers will target alcohol violations at Gull Point Beach.
*Iowa DNR Lakes Patrol will target navigation violations and monitor uses at other beaches to inform operation leaders of crowd movement
*Iowa DNR seasonal park officers will patrol state campgrounds and outlying beach areas to monitor use of those areas and inform operation leaders of crowd movement
*Iowa State Patrol will have additional troopers patrolling roadways near Gull Point targeting seatbelt, speed and alcohol violations
*The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office will have additional deputies available to assist if needed and additional staff on duty at the jail
*The Dickinson County Attorney’s Office will prosecute arrests.
Szcodronski says they’re trying to head off problems in previous years caused by huge crowds and excessive alcohol consumption that’s resulted in assaults, unconsciousness, public urination, indecent exposure, minors in possession, noise, trespassing and overcrowding.
In addition, Szcodronski says parking will be banned along atleast one side of the main road that goes through Gull Point so emergency vehicles can have access. He says violators will be towed.
Szcodronski says bans of alcohol consumption at other public beaches, such as the Arnolds Park City Beach, has moved the alcohol problem to state park beaches. To permanently address the problem, the DNR has issued a proposed rule change that would ban consumption of alcohol at state park beaches in the Fourth of July. The agency is currently accepting public comment on the proposed rule. A public hearing on the proposal will be held July 13th at the Gull Point lodge. If it’s adopted the rule wouldn’t take affect until the July 4th holiday period in 2011.
Based on the forecast, Szcodronski expects upwards of four thousand to five thousand people to gather at Gull Point this coming Fourth of July holiday weekend.
