Seaside details New Year’s Eve plan: more officers, hotline and drone support for fireworks and DUI enforcement

Commander Matt Doza of the Seaside Police Department presented the city’s plan for New Year’s Eve public-safety enforcement, saying the department will field extra officers to focus on DUI prevention and fireworks enforcement and will use high-visibility patrols, drone support and hotlines for reports from residents.

Doza told the council the enforcement plan has two primary emphases: preventing and detecting DUI drivers, and discouraging use of illegal fireworks. He said Seaside considers all fireworks illegal outside the July 4th period; safe-and-sane fireworks are permitted only in that July timeframe and are not lawful for New Year’s activity. Enforcement tools include civil citations and, when appropriate, criminal citations.

The department will deploy additional uniformed officers and marked patrol cars to known problem areas, will use drones to assist ground units and will open hotline phone and text lines for public reports. Doza said the records unit will staff the hotline and text line on New Year’s Eve (anticipated coverage roughly from mid-afternoon into the early morning hours) and the unit will operate with a live person to receive messages; staff will track call counts for follow-up.

Council members asked whether the city will replicate the public-education efforts used on July 4 — such as social-media posts and roadside electronic signs — and Doza said social channels and signage are options the department will use. He also said the department will not conduct DUI checkpoints for the holiday but will employ high-visibility enforcement and targeted traffic patrols.

Members of the public suggested citywide “designated driver” options and asked for multilingual outreach and copies of hotline statistics after the holiday. Doza said staff will post educational messaging and that the department will provide a log of hotline activity after the event. The council offered support for outreach to universities, schools and social-service partners to reduce DUI risk and to publicize reporting options.

No council action was required; staff will implement the enforcement plan and follow up with after-action data.