Jun 20, 2008 7:47 am US/Eastern
Cape Officials Crack Down On Beach Sex
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Officials are looking to crack down on the increased number of people having sex on the beach in areas of the Cape, a newspaper reports.
According to the Cape Cod Times, the number of complaints concerning public sex in the Provincetown and Truro parts of the national park has more than tripled over the past decade. "It's a growing issue, both from the number of complaints and the number of areas doing this activity," Seashore superintendent George Price told the paper.
Just last year, seashore rangers handed out 132 citations. That's a huge jump from the 70 citations handed out annually from 2003-2006, according to the Cape Cod Times.
Seashore acting chief ranger Craig Thatcher told the paper several of the complaints have come from tourists.
The paper said tourist have filed several reports about public sex, including seeing groups of men having sex on the beach. One of the most recent incidents involved a man, believed to be between 65 to 70-years old, flashing people at Herring Cove Beach.
Having public sex is a misdemeanor and can result in a $150 citation.
To help combat the issue of public sex on the Cape, the paper reports that officials are partnering with business leaders to help persuade people to mind their manners through public education. "We certainly wanted to start a conversation with the people in Provincetown to see how we can tackle this together," Price said.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
