OCEAN CITY, Md. - Ocean City will launch a new beach enforcement division this summer after town leaders said last year’s rollout of tent and canopy rules created conflicts on the sand and pulled lifeguards away from their primary safety duties.
The Ocean City Council voted this week to approve the new division after a lengthy debate over how the program could affect the beach experience. Supporters said the added staff would serve more as ambassadors than as traditional enforcement officers, while some council members voiced concern that the effort could come across as over-enforcement.
Under the plan, the town will add a seasonal enforcement team to handle non-emergency issues on the beach, duties that town officials said increasingly fell on members of Beach Patrol last summer. The idea, according to supporters, is to keep lifeguards focused on the ocean instead of complaints involving canopies, smoking, alcohol or other rule violations.
Councilman Jake Mitrecic said that shift was a major factor in his support for the proposal.
“That’s a huge deal,” Mitrecic said. “The creation of this division is going to keep lifeguards’ eyes where they need to be, which is out on the water.”
Ocean City Fire Department's Ryan Whittington echoed that argument, saying complaints about beach rules should not take lifeguards away from watching swimmers and responding to emergencies.
“So if we can have our lifeguards in the stand watching the beaches, and we can have those who are responsible for beach enforcement to be down on the sand doing that enforcement, it makes safer waters for everyone,” Whittington said.
Along with approving the new division, council also signed off on a change to the canopy ordinance by expanding the allowed footprint from 10-by-10 feet to 15-by-15 feet. Town leaders said the change was meant to address confusion surrounding certain shade products, including Shibumi-style canopies, while still preserving enough open space for beach access and visibility.
Mitrecic said the larger footprint reflected feedback from the public.
“This is a situation where we actually listened to the public,” he said, adding that the town wanted to be more inclusive of different canopy types while still keeping the beach safe and accessible.
Town officials say the program will focus on education heading into the summer season.