Thinking of going topless at the beach to avoid tan lines? Think again if you are going to this Minnesota beach.

Twin Lake, just west of Theodore Wirth Park, in Golden Valley has a beach that is known for being a somewhat "hidden" beach in the area where the major draw for visitors is the underlying understanding that many freely bare their bodies on hot summer days. Elsie Olin frequents the beach and told WCCO that it is "well known for being a safe place to just be comfortable."

That has changed as of late though, as officers were at the beach on July 10th giving warnings and taking information from exposed beach-goers.

Golden Valley Police Det. Sgt. Randy Mahlen told WCCO that the department had received more than a dozen complaints so far this spring and summer regarding people drinking, doing drugs, and being nude on the beach. Over the past few weeks officers have talked to people at the beach letting them know what the laws are, but repeated complaints left the officers no other choice than to enforce the law.

The way police confirmed that the complaints were legit was by piloting a drone nearby and scanning the beach. Which is creepy, but totally legal since the beach is a public place. The way Sgt. Mahlen described it was that it was no different than a security camera in a high-crime area. It still makes a person wonder how much they are being watched...

This incident at the beach is coming at a time where the rules around nudity in the Twin Cities are being challenged. Just a few weeks ago there was a woman who was biking topless around the Minneapolis area to prove her point and fight a citation she received for being topless at a Minnesota beach.

I'm all for body positivity and allowing people to express themselves in safe and healthy ways. I'm also all for following rules. If this beach is known for being "topless" or "nude" maybe the rules need to be changed and signs need to be put up warning people of it so if they're not ok, they can leave or at least be warned. The main goal should always be people's safety and happiness.

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