Newport Beach Mayor Lauren Kleiman issued her first formal written statement Wednesday, July 9, on the July 4 Balboa Peninsula melee, pledging the city will hold every person arrested accountable and pursue new measures to prevent a repeat.

"Over a 36-hour period, NBPD made over 400 arrests, and we will hold everyone accountable for their actions," Kleiman wrote in the statement, published in the Newport Beach Independent.

Officers from the Newport Beach Police Department and 17 partner agencies responded to the unrest that erupted Saturday, July 4, on the Peninsula between 29th and 35th streets. NBPD Deputy Chief Joshua Vincelet described a crowd of roughly 3,000 people fighting and causing what he called "massive disruption." Police declared an unlawful assembly, and approximately 200 people near 28th Street who refused repeated dispersal orders were encircled and arrested in a single action, one of several enforcement operations over the 36-hour period, according to City Manager Seimone Jurjis.

The confirmed arrest total stands at 402 between Friday evening, July 3, and early Sunday morning, July 5, according to the city's official statement. For comparison, NBPD made 60 arrests during the same July 4 holiday window in 2025.

Kleiman attributed the surge to social media, writing that TikTok and Instagram posts drew young people from neighboring cities "like a magnet." Preliminary NBPD data shows 14 of the roughly 439 people arrested or cited were Newport Beach residents. Jurjis said what appeared to be a large share of those arrested were visiting from Arizona, with others arriving from Nevada, Utah, Texas, Florida, and as far as the Netherlands.

Fire department stretched thin

The Newport Beach Fire Department responded to 102 emergency incidents on Saturday, July 4, alone, including 10 fires. Paramedics transported 44 patients to hospitals that day, six of them to trauma centers. Over the full three-day weekend, NBFD handled 196 total incidents across city jurisdiction, including 143 medical calls and 15 fire calls, according to department figures reported by Stu News Newport.

One NBPD officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a mortar-style firework was thrown at him.

Lifeguards estimated more than 400,000 people visited Newport Beach beaches over the holiday weekend. They performed 4,606 preventative actions, 371 code enforcement actions, and 260 rescues.

What the city plans next

Kleiman said she has reached out to the California Coastal Commission to advocate for relief from rules that prevent the city from restricting beach access. She also asked city staff to schedule a City Council study session for public discussion of the incident and next steps.

Police Chief Dave Miner, deputy chiefs, and City Manager Jurjis were all on-scene during the unrest, Kleiman noted. Bar owner Mario Marovic, who runs Malarky's, The Stag Bar, and Dory Deli on the Peninsula, voluntarily closed his businesses around 9 p.m. Saturday, July 4, after consulting with NBPD. His staff sheltered in place for hours.

The city had already enacted several measures after a surge in disorder during 2025, including expanded Safety Enhancement Zones that triple fines for municipal code violations, a one-strike revocation rule for short-term lodging permits, doubled investment in the Mounted Enforcement Unit, and a "Not-in-Newport" social media campaign.

By Sunday morning, July 5, city Municipal Operations crews and local volunteers had cleaned up beaches, streets, and boardwalks on the Peninsula.

Residents who wish to report information related to the July 4 incidents can contact the Newport Beach Police Department's non-emergency line.