Before Coming to the Beach You Should Know

Evidence picture.

                I alluded to this in my earlier blog that I was going to put the nudity laws here on hold until a later time and that time is now since it was my second week in law enforcement. First the weekly update is upon us, I started my week the day before the fourth of July and it was spent preparing for what was expected to be a busy next day. We also caught two individuals with a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. The fourth for me was a busy day, which I will be talking about in a separate blog that will be released shortly after this one. Tuesday was a rainy day which allowed me to experience the report writing system IMARS while assisting an officer write a report about a controlled substance case. Wednesday is when I had experience with the laws on nudity when dealing with more than one group who thought nudity was still allowed on the beaches of the seashore. Thursday was a day at the range helping the rangers sight in their rifles, most of my day spent looking down range with a spotting scope.

Sign from the Ranger Station Office

                There are old signs in the maintenance buildings which have a warning on them that the beach is a clothing optional beach. Those were hung at all the entrances to the beaches before hurricane sandy came and demolished the island and the dunes around the beaches. Before the hurricane people could sunbathe nude, this meaning that they could not leave their area without at least bottoms. For a while the park had tried to push for clothing required beaches but couldn’t get the law to pass due to the public backing the clothing optional beach. When hurricane sandy came she destroyed the 40 plus foot tall sand dunes which protected the public who didn’t want to see the nude sunbathers. This helped pass the law making all the beaches within the seashore clothing required beaches. There was and have continued to be people and groups of people who do not agree with the law and try to fight it by still going nude. At this point the officers are still trying to educate the public who have not been spoken to before, and for those who have already been educated about the law they give them a citation. One main problem associated with the law is the vandalism to the sign which say clothing required along with people stealing the signs. This leads to people not knowing that the beaches are clothing required, which is why the rangers are still educating the public. Until the people of the island realize that the laws will not change just from them taking the signs down the rangers will have to keep educating and writing citations.

                That is the best way to describe the nudity laws and why they had to change after hurricane sandy. Week 7 will be with Maintenance.