Newsletter
Celebrating Summer Safely
As Newport Beach welcomes summer, safety is front and center—from beachside enforcement zones and fireworks bans to lifeguard readiness.
July 1, 2025
The City also reports significant wins in sober living legislation, smoke shop crackdowns, and a balanced budget focused on public safety and infrastructure. Plus, meet our heroic Firefighter of the Year, discover how to support the Mounted Unit, and weigh in on the future of the Randall Preserve before the July 14 comment deadline.
Safety Enhancement Zones
To ensure a safe and enjoyable July 4th, Safety Enhancement Zones will be in effect in key beach areas with triple fines and strict enforcement of laws against fireworks, alcohol, and smoking in public spaces.
Safety Enhancement Zones will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. on July 4th to 3 a.m. on July 5th in Corona del Mar and the West Newport/Peninsula area. Fines triple during this timeframe and can be as much as $3,000. Vehicles parked illegally or in beach lots after hours will be towed. Smoking, possessing, or drinking alcoholic beverages on streets, sidewalks, beaches, piers, or other public areas is prohibited. Violators are subject to citation or arrest. It is also illegal to possess or use fireworks in Newport Beach. This includes “safe and sane” fireworks such as fountains and sparklers that can be purchased in nearby cities. Newport Beach Lifeguards are fully staffed and ready for the crowds.
Sober Living Legislation
As Chair of the Legislative Committee for CASLAR, I’m leading efforts to protect patients and neighborhoods from exploitative practices in the sober living industry. Our first major win: defeating SB43.
As the Legislative Committee Chair of the California Sober Living and Recovery Task Force (CASLAR), I am proud to be part of this bipartisan powerhouse working tirelessly to reform the business-operated residential recovery industry that exploits patients for profit, along with the neighborhoods where their facilities are located.
I am relieved to share that we have already been successful in defeating SB43, a bill that would have legitimized the predatory patient (body) brokering practices we have been working so hard to put an end to. This is the first win of the legislative session, and after the eye-opening results of our State audit, I anticipate others as several of our bills march toward the Governor’s desk.
CdM Smoke Shop Busts
In response to community concerns, we’re cracking down on harmful substances—especially those targeting youth. A new ordinance banning the sale of Kratom empowers our Police Department to monitor local smoke shops more aggressively and enforce compliance through strengthened Municipal and Penal Codes.
After receiving complaints from parents and concerned residents, we have been taking action to reduce access to harmful substances in the protection of our community – especially our youth. Last year, I introduced an ordinance to ban the sale of Kratom, a potentially addictive substance with similar uses and effects to opioids, which is otherwise sold over-the-counter in smoke shops. This and other Municipal and Penal Code provisions provide our Police Department with the opportunity to monitor these shops for compliance.
Last month, NBPD Detectives performed an investigation that revealed that the owner of Tobacco & Accessories in Corona del Mar was selling prohibited and controlled substances to minors and adults. They seized over 454 pounds of THC/cannabis, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), nitrous oxide, and flavored tobacco products. They have since closed their doors.
In May, Youssef Bakhet was arrested for selling marijuana to a minor at Plugged N Smoke & Sneakers, also in CdM. That arrest followed a lengthy investigation that uncovered ongoing sales of THC, controlled substances and prohibited tobacco products to both minors and adults. Our City Attorney is actively pursuing these cases with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Randall Preserve Comment Period Ends July 14th
After decades of advocacy, the 387-acre Banning Ranch has been preserved as the Frank and Joan Randall Preserve for public use. The Coastal Corridor Alliance is now inviting community input on three key draft plans—focusing on resource management, coastal resilience, and public access—before the July 14 comment deadline. The final public workshop will take place June 21 at the Newport Beach Civic Center.
Banning Ranch, a 387-acre parcel located in the coastal zone between Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Huntington Beach, near the Santa Ana River, was historically used for farming and ranching before oil extraction began in the 1940s and continued for over 80 years. Conservation organizations, notably the Banning Ranch Conservancy (now Coastal Corridor Alliance or “CCA”), worked for over two decades to prevent the development of the land until it was ultimately purchased in 2022 for public use and designated as the Frank and Joan Randall Preserve.
CCA is now accepting public comments on its three draft plans for the Preserve; a Resource Management Plan, a Coastal Resilience Strategy and a Public Access Plan. The deadline for comment is Monday, July 14th at 5 p.m. The next (and last) public workshop on the draft plans will be held on Saturday, June 21st, from 4-6 p.m. at the Newport Beach Civic Center.
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget
The Newport Beach City Council has approved a balanced FY 2025-26 budget that strengthens public safety—with 60% of the General Fund supporting police, fire, and lifeguards—and invests $108 million in capital improvements.
The Newport Beach City Council has adopted a balanced Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget that prioritizes public safety and maintains core services while investing in future needs.
Our revenue projections remain strong, with a projected structural surplus of $12.2 million. 60% of our General Fund is earmarked for public safety expenditures; $73.4 million for the Police Department and $64.4 million for the Fire Department (which includes lifeguards). We have allocated $108 million in the upcoming fiscal year for capital improvement projects, including reconstruction of the Balboa Library and Fire Station No. 1, replacement of the Balboa Yacht Basin dock, street, and drainage improvements, water independence projects, and upgrades, park and beach rehabilitation, harbor improvements, neighborhood enhancements and park maintenance.
Safety Spotlight: Jim O'Brien
The O’Briens keep public safety all in the family – theirs and ours.
NBFD Firefighter Paramedic Jim O’Brien remembers calling in a structure fire from the captain’s seat as a child hanging out with his dad around the station. He shares a passion for public safety with his wife, Rachel, who served for seven years with the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) and remains the only female to have served on their SWAT team to date. Together, they are raising their two “feral boys,” Brady (2) and Merrick (1), and enjoy spending their off-time hiking, camping, teaching their boys to swim, playing pickleball, bodysurfing, working out, and generally enjoying the outdoors.
Jim’s dedication and love for positively impacting the lives of others has earned him the title of this year’s Firefighter of the Year, after only four years on the job. Please join me in congratulating him!
Safety Spotlight: Meet the Newport Beach Mounted Enforcement Unit
Meet the Newport Beach Police Department’s Mounted Team! Beloved by the community and vital to public safety, the Newport Beach Mounted Enforcement Unit is expanding this year with additional officers and horses. From patrolling beaches to supporting crowd control and regional events, these dedicated teams—and their iconic horses Buckie, Poncho, and Clyde—continue to play a dynamic role in crime prevention, search efforts, and community engagement all summer long.
You’ve likely seen Buckie, Poncho, and Clyde at their favorite deployments around town: the CdM Christmas Walk, National Night Out, the Battle of the Bay football game, the Balboa Island Parade, or the NBPD mobile cafes. Children and adults alike absolutely delight in their presence.
The Newport Beach Mounted Enforcement team is not just adored by our community but also serves as an invaluable asset for our Police Department. The unit was started in 2013 by two police officers and a police volunteer, using their own horses. Since then, they have been tasked with traversing our hillsides to deter residential burglary activity, searching for missing persons, patrolling the beach areas on busy summer days, and so much more.
They are proudly part of the Orange County Regional Mounted Enforcement Unit (“MEU”), which encompasses several Orange County Police and Sheriff Agencies and nearly a combined 50 horses. Once a month, the MEU teams across the county get together to train with their horses on everything from regular patrol duties to crowd control. The teams even hold an exercise where horses are exposed to several different kinds of fireworks in preparation for the 4th of July holiday. They are also frequently asked to assist other cities at events such as Knotts Scary Farm, Supercross, and the Pacific Air Show.
The City Council is excited to fund the expansion of the Newport Beach MEU this year. The unit will be growing to four horses and officers, in addition to a sergeant and volunteer. The Mounted Unit will be out and about all summer, so make sure to say “hello!” when you see them – though, with each horse in metal shoes weighing in at approximately 1200 pounds, you will likely hear them coming first!
To support the NBPD Mounted Unit with private donations, please visit the Newport Beach Police Foundation Website.
