Law enforcement agencies turn communication into prevention
Florida and Alabama agencies will increase traffic interdictions through March and April in a proactive measure to improve roadways and deter narcotics crime.
'It's a meeting where we all just kind of get together and share. It might be with people that are known to, you know, transport narcotics. It's people that might have active warrants and just we share information like that. So it's just something that we do. We found that it works and we're going to continue that,' said PCBPD Lt. Anderson.
Florida boaters' rights to be protected with Boater Freedom Act
Anderson says around 40 officers met for several hours to discuss enforcement tactics not only for spring break but for the busy season that continues through fall. The annual meeting connects agencies from several different areas.
'It's our agency with multiple other agencies around our jurisdiction. Like Bay County sheriff's office. You go up a little north, like Washington County, Holmes County, and then we get into Alabama agencies, maybe Houston County Sheriff's office and the Dothan area law enforcement, Dale County and different agencies like that,' added Anderson.
The Panama City Beach Police Department hosts the meeting to promote intelligence sharing. You may already see some of the department's strategies in effect, with more coming.
'Starting tomorrow, 5 a.m., a small portion of pier park, the roadway in there is going to be closed. So South Pier Park drive from LC Hilton South to Front Beach road will be closed up until May 5th. And we do that because there's such a high volume of pedestrians in that area.'
Anderson says open communication with nearby agencies is a constant. Many of the people they'll encounter are heading to Panama City Beach, and their activity along the way, can put those counties at risk.
'Between Tallahassee and Panama City, and then all the all the universities and colleges that are letting out from the north, coming down here they travel right through here. You know, they might not stop in Liberty County, but they fly trying to get down to the beaches,' said Liberty County Sherriff Dusty Arnold.
Prepare your boots and hats for the Shaddai Shriners rodeo
Arnold says they'll also be ramping up enforcement to keep his citizens safe.
'We just see a lot of a lot of speeders. And we're also going to have our canines out there because we do interdict a lot of drugs that are trying to make it down to the beaches and especially on State Road 65 going to St. George Island and SR 20 going to Panama City Beach.'
Those barricades are out and ready to be used to close the south Pier Park, Front Beach Road intersection.
Anderson says it's the only major road closure the beach has during the spring break season. That closure will begin tomorrow at 5 a.m. and continue through May 5th.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Yahoo
Montgomery riverfront brawl two years later: How the court cases ended
Two years have passed since the Montgomery riverfront brawl that captured worldwide attention. This article originally published Aug. 5, 2024, about how the court cases ended. The images shocked the nation. A group of white boaters appearing to beat a Black riverboat co-captain on the Montgomery riverfront. The scene was captured by dozens of phones held by the passengers aboard the riverboat, and the images quickly went viral on social media. The Aug. 5, 2023, melee became a global cultural flashpoint over the next few weeks, discussed and dissected over its role on the impact of race relations in the nation. A year later, Candyce Anderson organized a commemorative walk on the anniversary, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday beginning at the Court Square Fountain. Women were encouraged to wear yellow or pink and lay roses in remembrance. She said the goal was to heal and unify Montgomery. 'It's an opportunity to bring some much-needed positive energy and create some joyful memories," Anderson said. More: Commemorative Walk held on anniversary of Riverwalk Brawl How it started The group of boaters, mostly from Selma, had moored two pontoon boats in the slip usually reserved for the Harriott II riverboat, which was packed with passengers as it returned from an afternoon cruise on the Alabama River. Testimony in the ensuing trials and investigations from law enforcement agencies showed that the riverboat had been waiting to dock for 45 minutes to an hour, idling mid-river, as the captain called over the public address system for the pontoon boats to move. The boats remained. That's when Dameion Pickett, co-captain of the Harriott II, and Daniel Warren, a 16-year-old deckhand, went ashore to address the situation. Stories diverge on what happened; did Pickett ask that the boats be moved, or did he attempt to move the vessels from the riverboat's slip? One of the boaters shoved Pickett. The co-captain shoved back. Warren testified in court that he attempted to stop the initial altercation, and got punched in the chest for his trouble. Soon four of the boaters, three men and a woman, were involved in the fight, which saw fists thrown and kicks delivered as the snarl went up and down the boat dock. Several people, Black and white, attempted to break up the slugfest. During the fracas, a Black man with a folding chair struck at least two white people, one man in the head. More: Man wielding chair in Montgomery riverfront brawl pleads guilty There were no serious injuries, but the images left a lasting impact. The FBI investigated the brawl and found no evidence of a hate crime in the incident. The nation reacts, and creates a viral sensation Videos of the brawl, mostly captured by guests aboard the Harriott II riverboat, quickly had millions of views. They also ignited an explosion of brawl-inspired creativity — parody recreations, dances, songs, paintings, folding chair humor, and many comparisons to Marvel's Avengers. "Did y'all see the Alabama brawl?" asked stand-up comic Josh Johnson. "Who knew Wakanda was in Alabama?" About a month after the brawl, Pickett went on Good Morning America to tell his side of the incident. "When he touched me, I was like, 'It's on.'" Pickett said on GMA. Video of Pickett tossing his hat into the air before the brawl kicked off in earnest was seen as a signal to many, and was recreated in dozens of brawl parodies. "When you see a Black dude get rushed by a whole bunch of white people, and all he does is throw his hat in the air and square off, that dude has his ancestors in him," said stand-up comic Elliott Connie. Aaren Hamilton Rudolph, a teen dubbed "Black Aquaman" on social media, jumped into the Alabama River from the riverboat and swim to the dock to help rescue Pickett. "When they first started hitting on him, I wanted to help," Aaren said on GMA. "I couldn't just watch and sit around and let him get beat on while everyone else was just recording." What happened in court The drama then turned to the Montgomery Municipal Court, where the remaining chapters played out over a period from October to December. Those arrested were each charged with misdemeanors. And each court date, each delayed proceeding, generated media attention and a rebroadcast of those images. The following is a breakdown of how the cases ended: Richard Roberts, of Selma, entered guilty pleas to two counts of misdemeanor assault against Pickett and Warren. Pickett and Warren accepted the guilty pleas. Roberts was sentenced to 32 days of a four-month suspended jail sentence, to be served on weekends in a Perry County facility. He was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and pay court costs totaling $714, records show. Roberts, who threw the first punch to Pickett the cell phone images show, was the only defendant to serve any jail time. Mary Todd, also of Selma, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment in the assault on Pickett. Pickett accepted the plea deal. She was ordered to attend anger management class and pay $357 in court costs. Zachery Shipman, of Selma, and Allen Todd, of Orange Beach, each pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of harassment and were each ordered to serve 100 community hours, pay all court costs as well as a $100 fine and attend an anger management course. Shipman will serve his community service hours in Selma and Todd in Orange Beach. They were each originally charged with misdemeanor assault. Mary and Allen Todd are brother and sister. Reggie Ray, 42, of Montgomery, the man with the folding chair, entered a guilty plea to disorderly conduct. Ray was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was suspended, and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and pay court costs totaling $357. At the time, city officials declined to comment on why Ray was not charged with misdemeanor assault. However, Richard White, attorney for Roberts, said the woman Ray struck with the plastic folding chair decided not to press charges. As part of Ray's plea deal, Shipman dropped assault charges he had filed against Pickett. Shannon Heupel and Alex Gladden contributed to this story. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery riverfront brawl two years later: How each court case ended
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Yahoo
Gov. Tim Walz calls special elections for 2 vacant Senate seats
Gov. Tim Walz has called special elections in two Senate districts left vacant this month after the burglary conviction of Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, and the death of Sen. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo. Elections to fill the vacancies will take place on Nov. 4, the governor's office announced on Tuesday. If necessary, special primary elections will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Mitchell, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor senator, represented District 47, a Washington County seat that includes the suburbs of Woodbury and parts of Maplewood. She resigned last Friday, a week after a Becker County jury found her guilty of two felony charges for breaking into her estranged stepmother's Detroit Lakes home. Anderson was a longtime Republican lawmaker who represented Senate District 29. The district is northwest of Minneapolis and includes parts of Wright, Meeker, and Hennepin counties, as well as the cities of Buffalo and Monticello. He died unexpectedly on July 21 at the age of 75. With special elections now scheduled in both districts, Minnesota is on track to tie its record for most special elections in a year. The last time there were six special elections was 1994. Criminal cases, unexpected deaths and a residency dispute have driven up the number of non-election-year contests and have affected political dynamics in a Legislature narrowly divided between the parties. DFLers currently hold 33 seats in the Senate to Republicans' 32. The DFL only needs to hold on to Mitchell's former seat if it wants to maintain the Senate majority. Republicans would have to win both special elections to gain the majority. Anderson represented a rural district widely seen as a Republican stronghold. The DFL has dominated elections in the Woodbury area in recent years, though Mitchell's criminal case could draw greater Republican investment in the race. Candidates can begin filing paperwork to run in District 29 and District 47 this Wednesday. They have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, to submit affidavits of candidacy to county officials or the Minnesota Secretary of State. Related Articles Minnesota's new consumer data tracking protections start July 31 State Patrol planning third-party review for Capitol security assessment Divided government means high stakes for Woodbury special election Man with mental health issues found naked in Minnesota Capitol, raising new security concerns Minnesota lawmakers can draw additional state funds for security costs Solve the daily Crossword
Chicago Tribune
22-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Shots fired in parking lot of Morton Grove funeral home, near families gathered for movie night in the park
Morton Grove police detectives are investigating after someone reportedly fired shots in the parking lot of a local funeral home Friday night, a few blocks away from where the village was hosting family movie night at Harrer Park. At around 8:54 p.m. Friday, police responded to a call of shots fired in the parking lot at 6251 Dempster Street. Reportedly, a 'large group' had gathered in the parking lot when a physical altercation occurred. During the disturbance, someone is alleged to have brandished a firearm and shot three rounds into the air, according to a police department news release. Police stated in the release that the individuals believed to be involved in the incident fled the area in vehicles before police officers arrived. Police Commander Anthony Anderson confirmed with Pioneer Press that the address is to the Simkins Funeral Home. It was not immediately clear whether the incident was related to a service or other business there. Anderson said no further details directly related to the alleged shooting would be provided, pending the ongoing investigation. 'We're doing our due diligence on that. We have detectives working on that,' he said. 'We're not going to release any information because it may taint our investigation.' Officials stated in the release, and Anderson reaffirmed, that there were no injuries reported. Authorities said there was no immediate or ongoing threat to the general public in the wake of the gunfire. 'Suspect and vehicle information was promptly shared with regional law enforcement partners. The Morton Grove Police Department is pursuing several leads,' according to the release. The funeral home is about a three-minute walk to Harrer Park where the Park District was holding its summer recurring Friday night movie showing. Families had gathered at the park to watch Disney/Pixar's 'Inside Out 2.' Some individuals reported on social media hearing the shots and mistaking them for fireworks or misfiring vehicles. Anderson said the park was not impacted and the movie showing went on without incident. Police ask anyone with information about the shots fired incident to contact the Morton Grove Police Department at 847-470-5200.
