Dennis police, fire break up crowds of more than 300 during busiest July 4th yet

DENNIS — Police sirens competed with fireworks this Fourth of July in Dennis, with authorities reporting one of the busiest holiday weekends in years.

"I've been here for 33 years and I've never seen a weekend like this," Lt. Peter Benson with the Dennis Police Department said.

Responders were kept busy all weekend, but the height of activity culminated on the night of the Fourth of July, where police reported breaking up gatherings of up to 300 people at several beaches across town, including Mayflower, West Dennis, Chapin and Cold Storage beaches.

Backup from Brewster and Yarmouth police departments and the Massachusetts State Police were called in on Monday as well, according to Benson.

Despite nearly three-quarters of on-duty staff reporting all over town on Monday, Benson said that nothing got out of hand, largely due to the swift response of Dennis officers.

“The crowds weren’t doing anything, but the potential was there," he said. "For the most part it was large gatherings, but if you let it go unchecked late into the night you could get problems, like last year there were a couple of assault and batteries."

There were no reported injuries to officers, he said.

No arrests were made either, Benson added, something which the department has drawn criticism for, mostly from social media.

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"We read social media and outlets and see comments and criticism, and most comments have been supportive because I think people know we were running all over town, but there were criticisms that we weren’t doing enough," he said.

The crowds weren't doing anything serious enough to warrant an arrest, and he said the department had to consider the dangers of sending an officer into a large group on the busiest night of the summer.

“Any infractions people were doing were minor, and the need to arrest people is outweighed by an officer wading into a crowd of 200 people to arrest only two or three of them, there could have been an issue," Benson said.

Fire department reports 28% incident increase

Robert Brown, chief of the Dennis Fire Department, said they calculated a 28% increase in incidents the department responded to on the holiday from 2021. However, with COVID restrictions still largely in place last year, he said it wasn't unusual to see a jump that big.

"We expect it in a lot of ways, it's like our spring break," Brown said.

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Beach grass caught on fire at West Dennis Beach from setting off fireworks, but besides that, there were no other reported incidents involving fire, and Dennis fire responders didn't need to treat or transport anyone for injuries.

The Dennis Fire Department usually puts out more brush fires due to fireworks on the Fourth of July, but Brown suspected the rainy weather of the previous two days contributed to fewer incidents.

Social media helps mobilize crowds

Both Benson and Brown noted the rising role social media played in coordinating record numbers of partygoers.

"We chalk a lot of it up to instant communication online," Benson said. "You can instantly contact 100 friends about where you’re headed. Back in the '90s, we didn’t have that. Now they can move as quickly as we can. As soon as you move them out of an area they’ve moved onto the next one.”

Brown agreed.

"Now they can establish these party groups online,” he said.

Both also acknowledged the large number of people getting dropped off by ridesharing apps like Uber at the beaches, adding to the large crowds.

"When you have dozens of people Ubering to beaches it’s harder to track and trace those people," Brown said.

Chief to address Select Board

Chris Lambton, chair of the Dennis Select Board, applauded the town and law enforcement for their quick response on Monday.

"I'm proud of the town’s response, especially Dennis police and fire. We had a record call log this year," he said. “They did a great job at what could have been a bad situation.”

Lambton also noted Dennis' Department of Public Works, which had employees on the beaches early the next morning to help clean up the trash left behind.

“We have amazing beaches and tons of residents. Mayflower is one of the best beaches in the US, so it’s always a hot spot and Fourth of July is one of the busiest weekends," he said.

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Going forward, Dennis police and fire are thinking about how best to deal with a potentially similar situation next year.

Lambton said Dennis Police Chief John Brady is scheduled to brief the Select Board at their July 12 meeting on the situation, and perhaps brainstorm possible solutions.

"All of these towns, police and fire departments are trying to deal with this new wave of tech. We have to come up with some kind of solution to it.”

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: July 4 at Dennis beaches – Crowds nearly overwhelm police and fire