Surfside Beach may tweak fireworks, breastfeeding laws as part of town-wide overhaul

New regulations could soon be in place around fireworks use, breastfeeding a host of other issues aimed at improving quality of life in one of the Grand Strand’s most popular coastal communities.

Surfside Beach leaders spent hours last week reviewing proposed changes to the town’s public safety guidelines, where police Chief Kenneth Hoffman suggested several major adjustments.

Although state law has long protected women breastfeeding in public from violating decency statutes, Surfside Beach hasn’t specifically included the languages in its own criminal codes.

Hoffman suggested doing so, even as he said stronger indecent exposure penalties might be needed.

“I do think this is important. Inevitably, almost every summer we have somebody running down the beach completely nude,” he said.

Officials also are contemplating tighter guidelines for when, where and how fireworks can be used — a conversation happening around the region. The Horry County Council on March 15 gave early approval to a policy that would let property owners apply for fireworks-free zones through their representative.

An outright ban on the pyrotechnics is prohibited by state law and not an avenue town leaders are interested in pursuing anyway.

“You’re in a tourist area. It would be like people at Walt Disney saying they don’t want fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. Can you imagine?” councilmember Michael Drake said during the March 7 workshop. “I think the police have bigger problems to worry about than chasing kids with fireworks.”

But a fireworks curfew is a possibility, with Hoffman suggesting an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. lid, while keeping an existing 500-foot buffer around the town’s pier and other sensitive areas such as gas stations and day cares.

“Hopefully if we allow a reasonable avenue of use, we’ll have more compliance,” Hoffman said.

The police chief wants more authority to go after “aggressive” panhandlers and overnight campers as well.

“It’s not illegal to ask for a dollar. But it is illegal to ask for it twice,” Hoffman said. People who solicit money and don’t take “no” for an answer could be hit with a $100 fine and 30 days behind bars.

The tourist town of roughly 4,000 is also looking to prevent camping on public grounds, with violators facing fines of $500 and 30 days in jail if they ignore a verbal warning.

“I don’t want to criminalize homelessness because people legitimately need help, but this is a problem that’s here right now,” Hoffman said. “It’s happening on some commercial properties, and it’s happening on some residential properties in town.”

The town council is expected to adopt the changes during an upcoming meeting.

This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM.