“Limit RIPTA Buses & Check Non-Residents for Weapons,” Says Narragansett Resident After Beach Brawl
Friday, May 28, 2021
One Narragansett resident is recommending that the town limit the number of RIPTA buses being able to stop at the beach — and check non-residents for weapons — following last weekend’s brawl on Narragansett Town Beach.
GoLocal obtained a copy of a message sent by Jane Warren — wife of Narragansettt recreation board chair Tom Warren — to neighbors, after a fight between beach-goers and law-enforcement authorities at Narragansett Town Beach on Sunday had one Rhode Island mom who witnessed the melee call it the “worst thing she’d ever seen.”
“My understanding is that [Warren’s letter] was written up and distributed to a small neighborhood group, the Narragansett Pier Association,” said Narragansett Council President Jesse Pugh when reached. “I got emails with that message from members of that group, and I responded to them — I have not talked with [Warren].”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe communication by Warren stated the following suggestions:
"A cap on the number of beach patrons each day. One common complaint of residents is that the beach is overcrowded to the point of being unsafe. When people are crowded and beachgoers drink to excess, violence follows! This is evidenced by the riot of [Sunday].
A Narragansett Police Officer be stationed at the town beach daily and ride the beach on an ATV.
All parking lots should be reserved for town residents/taxpayers, except for the dirt lot across the street (west lot).
Limit the number of RIPTA busses that stop at our beach. Council President Jesse Pugh recently established the Narragansett Coastal Access Improvement Committee. One item on their agenda of this month was to discuss RIPTA beach routes and encouragement of routes to our beach.
All nonresidents should be required to enter through the South Pavilion so that their belongings may be inspected to ensure that weapons are not allowed on the beach."
Jane Warren refused comment on Thursday when reached at home.
Addressing Beach Issues
“We review the beach policies each year — we receive recommendations and address them in the off-season,” said Pugh. “This is something that is a debate, and I would say it’s been more spirited over the past few years, especially with more money coming [into town].”
As GoLocal reported last fall, the Town Council took up fee and policy change suggestions that would have a non-resident family of four paying $80 to access the town beach.
Pugh noted that Warren’s suggestions did not appear to be speaking on behalf of the recreation board.
“We did receive a letter from Tom, to push for more restrictive policies,” said Pugh of Warren's husband on the board. “It didn’t specify all of those points however.”
“My priority is to make sure what happened Sunday doesn’t happen again, and that has nothing to do with the policies that were recommended,” said Pugh. “We’ll fix that by increasing police patrol. This message [from Warren] looks like an opportunity to push a political agenda.”
Pugh noted that the manner by which Narragansett acquired the town beach land in the early 1900s, that the town is required to not limit public access to non-residents.
“We charge [a beach fee] because we have to maintain the beach,” said Pugh.
Pugh said that while he would be opposed to limiting RIPTA, a suggested separated entrance and weapons check is his estimation was “actually worse.”
“A separate entrance for non-residents is pretty shocking. It’s reminiscent of certain laws in the past of this country,” said Pugh.
“We prioritize residents with season passes, parking passes, prioritized parking,” said Pugh. ‘So I don’t agree with any narrative that we don’t care about residents. We do.”
Narragansett Town Council members Susan Cicilline Buonanno and Patrick Murray did not respond to request for comment at time of publication; Councilmembers Ewa Dzwierzynski and Deborah Kopech said they had not seen Warren's letter when reached.
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