Long Beach shuts down beach entrances to prevent teen gatherings
Despite attempts by some students to reach the beach, police stationed along the boardwalk turned them away.
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The City of Long Beach took swift action Friday to prevent a repeat of past unruly teen gatherings, shutting down all beach access points after learning of plans for a large student meetup tied to "Senior Cut Day."
According to officials, entrances to the city's beaches were blocked off after authorities received word that high school students from multiple schools were planning to congregate in large numbers. The move was made in an effort to avoid the chaos of previous years, including a 2024 incident in which a teenager was shot during an out-of-control gathering involving approximately 2,000 youths.
“In prior years, they never got ahead of it,” said Long Beach resident Steve Murphy. “They knew it was going to happen but never closed the beach like they did today. They got ahead of it, they closed the beach, and guess what — no problems.”
Despite attempts by some students to reach the beach, police stationed along the boardwalk turned them away. A strong police presence remained in place throughout the evening to deter any attempts at mass gatherings.
“We didn’t want a repeat performance of last year, so we shut down the beach for safety purposes,” said Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma.
DePalma explained that the city was tipped off by NYPD School Safety officers.
“Our detectives, in conjunction with Nassau County police detectives, are monitoring social media and listening to sources to keep us apprised of any potential threats of a beach gathering again,” DePalma said.
Officials say beach access will remain closed through the night. Normal operations are expected to resume Saturday morning. Visitors will be required to present a valid beach pass to gain entry.
