Police Arrest Three for Breaking Casual Friday Laws in Sag Harbor
The Hamptons Police Department apprehended three suspects in Sag Harbor on Friday and charged them with excessive formality in their mode of dress under the village’s Casual Fridays statute.
The trio was first spotted in plain view walking on Washington Street. “These guys were dressed to the nines,” says Hamptons Police spokesman Larry Hirsch. “Dress shirts, ties, pressed slacks, loafers and even blazers. It looked like they stepped out of a Brooks Brothers catalog.”
The Casual Fridays statute—which Sag Harbor adopted in 2011 to, in the words of the law, “enforce a beachy, summery vibe” on its streets—forbids the public wearing of attire considered to be of a formal or business character within village limits on Fridays. Among the clothing items specifically forbidden by the law are dress shirts, ties, pressed slacks, loafers and blazers.
“These guys were five time losers,” Hirsch says, noting that each article of off-limits clothing worn by the perps constitutes a separate violation. “With five violations each, they’re looking at some pretty steep fines and possible jail time.”
A lawyer for Lawrence Perkins, one of the arrested men, expressed his client’s contrition for his sartorial crime. “Mr. Perkins intends to plead guilty to all counts, and has issued an apology to the residents and government of Sag Harbor for his failure to comply with Casual Friday. He has already ordered several pairs of shorts, sandals and some short-sleeved shirts. We feel that Mr. Perkins fully understands the damage he caused to the reputation of Sag Harbor and that he should be allowed to rejoin society in his new, casual outfits.”
A court appearance by the three suspects is expected shortly.