Cops Along the Coast Gear Up for Influx of Tourists

By: Philip Jones/Eyewitness News 9 | WNCT
Published: March 20, 2008

Folks along our coast are preparing for an invasion -- of tourists.

An early Easter means an early start to the tourist season, and with a full-time population of about 60,000 people, Carteret County is gearing up for a flood of out-of-towners that could push its summer population into the hundreds of thousands.

Whether it's the sand or the sights, Atlantic Beach is one of the most popular vacation destinations along the Crystal Coast.

It's a sleepy town during the winter, but over the next few days, its permanent population of about 2,000 people is set to explode thanks to the start of tourism season.

“It's about ten-fold what we normally have,” said police Chief Allen Smith.

He and his 18 full-time officers know the influx of tourists presents a special set of problems.

One of the biggest?

“There's a lot of congestion with traffic,” says ABPD Sgt. Jim Vaselovic. “So it's getting to the calls that we have to go to, there's a lot of traffic in the way.”

So the department is already stepping up its patrols. And it's prepared to double or even triple the number of officers on some shifts, depending on how many vacationers might be in town.

It's even bringing in extra officers in hopes of matching the swell in tourists.

“We have a cache of about 22 to 24 officers that we utilize in peak seasons, on a paid part-time basis,” Smith said.

This cop crunch isn't unique to just Atlantic Beach.

Law enforcement is stretched thin all over Carteret County during the tourism season.

The Sheriff's Department estimates the number of emergency calls doubles, and sometimes even triples, during the summer months.

Tourism season runs through Labor Day -- meaning officers here have had more than six months to gear up for this year's season.

And Smith says his department is ready for the tourists.

“The more the merrier,” the chief said.

Smith says officers in Atlantic Beach are also worried about parking, as construction has closed many of the town's public parking lots.

Parking near the Circle has been nearly completely eliminated due to construction. Officers hope folks will pay special attention to where they park.

They say tourists should be sure not to park on public property, or out on the streets. Choosing either place as a parking spot could land your car on the hook.