LAGUNA BEACH : Lifeguards May Get Enforcement Clout

The City Council has tentatively agreed to allow full-time lifeguards to issue citations for a variety of offenses, from drinking alcohol on the beach to walking a dog without a leash.

The council voted 3 to 2 at its last meeting to amend city law to give the city’s three full-time marine-safety officers the additional powers. Mayor Robert F. Gentry and Councilwoman Lida Lenney voted against the measure.

“I guess I have strong feelings that lifeguards should be lifeguards and not act in a police capacity,” Lenney said. “I think people have to be professionally trained, and that has to be their focus in order to do that job well.”

Police Chief Neil J. Purcell Jr. said most Orange County beach cities already allow lifeguards to issue citations or make arrests and are armed in some cases. Laguna Beach lifeguards will be permitted to cite beach-goers who do not respond to a warning, City Manager Kenneth C. Frank said.

“They’re not going to make any arrests,” Frank said. “If it escalates (to) that point, they would call the Police Department.”

Frank said the staff recommendation to grant lifeguards the additional power was not based on an increase in crime. Allowing lifeguards to cite beach-goers who consume alcohol, break glass on the sand or don’t clean up after their dogs is a way to use city staff more efficiently, he said.

“At this point, if a lifeguard sees somebody (violating beach ordinances), they can’t do anything about it,” Frank said. “Now they will be able to issue a citation.”

The council will be asked to give final approval next month to the change in the law. Lifeguards would then be trained by police officers to issue citations, Frank said. Their new powers will probably go into effect in April, he said.