Newport Beach police made approximately 439 arrests over a 36-hour stretch during the Fourth of July weekend, and 96% of those taken into custody came from outside the city. The City Council will hold a public study session Tuesday, July 14, at 4 p.m. to review the response and discuss planning for Labor Day, City Manager Seimone Jurjis said in his weekly newsletter Friday, July 10.

Jurjis called the events on the Balboa Peninsula "deeply disappointing and unacceptable" in the newsletter, titled "From City Hall to You," his first extended public statement since the holiday weekend.

The arrest total represents a nearly six-fold increase over 2025, when police made 76 arrests during the same holiday, according to the Daily Pilot.

How the night unfolded

More than 420,000 people visited Newport Beach beaches over the holiday weekend, according to city estimates. But late on Saturday, July 4, thousands more flooded the Peninsula after what Jurjis described as "a wave of social media posts" promoting the gathering. As the crowd grew, unlawful behavior created unsafe conditions.

Officers from 17 agencies joined Newport Beach police. More than 350 responded.

The largest single enforcement action resulted in 328 arrests for unlawful assembly, failure to disperse, and remaining at the scene of a riot. Of those arrested in that incident, 98% came from outside Newport Beach, with 41% from Arizona and 8% from Nevada. Alcohol-related offenses fueled more than half of all booked arrests that night, according to the Daily Pilot.

Only 14 of the roughly 439 people arrested or cited over the entire weekend were Newport Beach residents, according to preliminary police data. Thirty-five percent came from Arizona, 7% from Nevada, and 51% from other California communities. More than 70% were between 18 and 25 years old; an additional 20% were between 13 and 17.

"We need to assess what is working, what doesn't work, and how do we continue to improve as we go forward," Jurjis told the Orange County Register on Monday, July 6.

Fire and lifeguard response

The Newport Beach Fire Department deployed 147 personnel on July 4 and responded to 194 incidents from Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, including 143 medical calls. Medical calls on July 4 alone jumped 30% over the prior year. Lifeguards made 260 rescues and performed 4,606 preventative actions over the weekend.

Municipal Operations and Public Works crews began Peninsula cleanup at 4 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, according to the newsletter.

What council will review Tuesday

The study session at Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Drive, will include a staff presentation on planning, staffing, and operational coordination during the holiday, plus next steps for future holiday weekends. Mayor Lauren Kleiman has invited residents to attend, according to the Newport Beach Independent.

Jurjis said the session will inform planning for Labor Day weekend, when the city's Safety Enhancement Zone is scheduled to activate Saturday, September 5, through Monday, September 7, tripling municipal code fines on the Peninsula.

Following the study session, the council will hold two public hearings. The first involves an appeal at 2350 Bristol Street over whether to allow an existing emergency access driveway to also serve employee and delivery vehicles. The second concerns proposed changes to inclusionary housing requirements for future for-sale residential development in the Newport Place residential overlay area.

The study session begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, with the regular business meeting to follow.