# Do Police Patrol Beaches? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115 "2008-07-11T11:56:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/1 "2008-07-11T11:56:32Z")
I am wasting time on Google Earth. I went to La Jolla California and started scrolling up the beach. (Remarkable how steep the hills are there, by the way.) There is (was) a set of tire tracks on the beach. In coastal communities, do the police routinely patrol the beaches in isolated areas? Why? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/2 "2008-07-11T12:31:40Z")
Just a WAG: To track smuggling, drug trafficking or illegal immigration? ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/3 "2008-07-11T12:35:23Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] I am wasting time on Google Earth. I went to La Jolla California and started scrolling up the beach. (Remarkable how steep the hills are there, by the way.) There is (was) a set of tire tracks on the beach. In coastal communities, do the police routinely patrol the beaches in isolated areas? Why? [/QUOTE] The beaches of Assateague Island on Maryland/Virginia’s Eastern Shore are patroled by park rangers (who have police powers). They’re patrolling to protect public safety, just like on the street. I’ve come across people in some really remote beaches - the police can’t really tell where people will or won’t go if the space is open to the public. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/4 "2008-07-11T13:21:49Z")
I guess I just never thought about it before. Google Earth; endlessly time-wasting. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/5 "2008-07-11T13:26:07Z")
Yeah, I recalled a story about a police vehicle running over a sunbather and Googled for it – looks like that happens occasionally. I guess sunbathers fall asleep lying down and the police come zooming over a dune without realizing. [Oops.](http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-208638.html) [Oops again.](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E3D91E3DF937A15751C0A9659C8B63) Let’s be careful out there! Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/6 "2008-07-11T13:55:19Z")
[QUOTE=plnnr] They’re patrolling to protect public safety, just like on the street. [/QUOTE] If by “public safety” you mean the threat imposed by consensual sexual acts, I can vouch for ya. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/7 "2008-07-11T13:58:14Z")
[QUOTE=Schnitte] Just a WAG: To track smuggling, drug trafficking or illegal immigration? [/QUOTE] In Spain, yes, yes and yes. Actually, the point with the illegal immigrants often isn’t to stop them but to get them to the hospital on time (many arrive half dead). The tracks could also come from someone from the local government running environmental checks. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/8 "2008-07-11T14:07:04Z")
Short Answer to OP Title: Because crime happens everywhere. Answer to OP Post: Because anything (crime, injuries, etc) can happen anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/9 "2008-07-11T14:25:36Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] If by “public safety” you mean the threat imposed by consensual sexual acts, I can vouch for ya. 😉 [/QUOTE] I feel your pain. He was actually pretty nice about it and let us off with a warning and a “You should be careful - you’re a long way from help if something should happen to you out here.” ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/10 "2008-07-11T16:13:57Z")
Life guards and park rangers routinely drive around on the beaches. (I live in San Diego.) ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/11 "2008-07-11T16:49:59Z")
[QUOTE=plnnr] I feel your pain. He was actually pretty nice about it and let us off with a warning and a “You should be careful - you’re a long way from help if something should happen to you out here.” [/QUOTE] We got mosquito avoidance suggestions as we redressed. He was _very_ nice, and told us that it was a routine part of his shift. We were camping at Assateague circa 1980. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/12 "2008-07-11T16:54:39Z")
In Jacksonville Florida I witnessed a police SUV tearing down the beach trying to catch up with a guy who was offshore, caught in a riptide. I guess the lifeguards called for backup… ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/13 "2008-07-11T17:02:29Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] We got mosquito avoidance suggestions as we redressed. He was _very_ nice, and told us that it was a routine part of his shift. We were camping at Assateague circa 1980. 😃 [/QUOTE] Ours was very nice as well. PM me and we can compare notes on the experience. “Dear Penthouse Forum…” ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/14 "2008-07-12T00:40:50Z")
Police, Rangers and -if Baywatch was an accurate TV show- lifeguards all patrol beaches. But you can drive a vehicle on some beaches, so tire tracks don’t automatically mean the cops have been there. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/15 "2008-07-12T02:27:55Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] If by “public safety” you mean the threat imposed by consensual sexual acts, I can vouch for ya. 😉 [/QUOTE] You just did it on the wrong beach. There are others, though . . . ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/16 "2008-07-12T02:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=Fubaya] Police, Rangers and -if Baywatch was an accurate TV show- lifeguards all patrol beaches. But you can drive a vehicle on some beaches, so tire tracks don’t automatically mean the cops have been there. [/QUOTE] If Baywatch were accurate, I would live in California. So would everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/17 "2008-07-12T08:14:55Z")
[QUOTE=cher3] Life guards and park rangers routinely drive around on the beaches. (I live in San Diego.) [/QUOTE] Right, out here it is more likely those guys. Note that some are LEO’s, however. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-police-patrol-beaches-why/456115/18 "2008-07-12T18:44:04Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] n coastal communities, do the police routinely patrol the beaches in isolated areas? Why? [/QUOTE] Aside from the public safety issues, there’s also the matter of asserting some control over the border, trying to combat illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Both the Coast Guard and US Border Patrol have stations here along the southern coast of Lake Ontario.