You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here: Reduced hours return to two Seattle beaches

Starting Friday, Golden Gardens and Alki Beach will have reduced hours.

This is the third year the city has implemented early closure of beaches in an attempt to curb violence and crime.

“The shortened hours will assist in addressing dangerous and/or illegal behavior typical of summer evening uses at these two parks in response to public input and nearby community complaints,” a press release from Seattle Parks and Recreation states.

The department did not have data available regarding the impact early closure has had on crime rates in these areas in recent years.

However, the city has received hundreds of comments from the public about the reduction in hours over the past two summers. Records show a mix of responses with a slight majority favoring the move.

From May 24 through Sept. 22, opening hours at the two beaches will be 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. After Sept. 22 hours will be 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

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Fires need to be extinguished by 10 p.m. Parks staff and Seattle Police Department officers will begin closing the beaches at that time.

"For us to have a public beach open into the evening, past dark when it is harder to police in the dark, we need to put some arms around it and some boundaries so people can enjoy it safely," said Charlotte Starck, president of Alki Community Council, a neighborhood group.

Starck said, ideally, people would be able to stay on the beach as late as they like, but there have been issues in the past with violence and what she called a “spring break mentality” from some visitors.

"The challenge is that public safety needs to come first and, unfortunately, in a beach environment the spoiler alert is that in order to reign in bad behavior it creates impacts for others," Starck said.

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The city’s decision to reduce beach hours follows several incidents of gun violence at both locations in recent years.

Starck said she’s pleased to see the pilot program reducing beach hours continue, and she’s glad the city is continuing to take public input this year.

However, she said more resources are needed to ensure places like Alki Beach remain enjoyable.

“We also want to be good guardians of the environment,” Starck said.

She said budget cuts are causing a shortage of trash cans and trash pickup and that results in damage to the environment after the crowds leave.

Trash is an issue on the beach itself, but it can also make its way into the water, endangering wildlife and polluting the ocean.

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