'This is Not New Orleans': Police Chief Says Montauk Revelers Need to Know Carrying Open Alcohol's Not Allowed

MONTAUK, NY - It's not New Orleans, folks.

That's the message East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo would like to get out to revelers who can be seen on any Montauk weekend carrying open containers of alcohol in the streets.

"With alcohol allowed on the beach, and on the properties of many of the hotels in downtown Montauk, getting the word out that it is not legal to carry open alcohol from Point A to Point B remains one of our biggest challenges," Sarlo said Monday, reporting on the weekend in Montauk to Patch.

"We need people to understand this is not New Orleans, and they cannot be in the streets or on the sidewalks with open alcohol. Things have been much better than last year in this regard, but with high turnover of hotel guests and day trippers, it continues to be a challenge for us."

Overall, Sarlo said the atmosphere continues to improve and become more and more orderly in Montauk, despite large crowds and much activity.

"Of course, with large crowds of tourists and bar patrons, there will continue to be quality of life issues such as public urination and open alcohol, but we are seeing much more compliance and much less complaints from residents regarding these issues," Sarlo said.

The chief said proactive policing and a consistent presence in and around the busier commercial areas with foot patrols, bike patrols and focus on quality of life summonses through overtime and part time officers continues to be the police department's course of action.

Businesses in Montauk, Sarlo said, have been very cooperative, self-policing, handling crowds and working with the police department to improve safety.

"We continue to see a sharp decline in commercial noise complaints, with only one in Montauk all weekend, which was not found to be a violation," Sarlo said Monday. "This seems to be a marked improvement, particularly with so many commercial establishments in residential neighborhoods."

Improved management of crowds and the music volume, as well as adherence to outside music after 9 p.m. rules, have made a marked difference in Montauk's quality of life, Sarlo said.

Taxis, he said, remain a concern.

"Given the sheer volume of cabs out and about at night, and the race to get fares in and out of businesses, we really need more cooperation from the companies in following the rules of the road, and ensuring their drivers understand all of the town code," Sarlo said. "It's always better to have cabs than people driving drunk, but we need to ensure the safety of the public on the roadways and in those vehicles for hire."

Overall, Sarlo said the volume of calls to the police department remains high and traffic is extreme.

"We are busier across the entire town, and we need to remember as an agency, while Montauk night life is a hot button issue, we are still dealing with the entire Township of East Hampton, Springs, Amagansett, Wainscott, and all of the actual police calls for service we handle," he said.