Latest news with #FloridaSpringBreak
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spring break crime plummeted in Florida hot spot after warning goes viral
The mayor of Miami Beach, Florida said that a viral reality TV-themed public service announcement helped the city drastically reduce spring break crime for the second year in a row, leaving residents grateful for the effort. Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner took office at the end of 2023, after years of spring break turmoil that left local businesses in shambles and residents irked. After working with city, county and state authorities to curb chaos during spring break in 2024, the city's comprehensive "Reality Check" campaign came to life in 2025. "I mean, we had [in] the prior years literally killings on our street," Meiner told Fox News Digital. "We had other shootings, basically modified stampedes, just from literally a level of lawlessness and chaos – jumping on police cars – it was just not tolerable." Florida Spring Break Destination Town Done With College Crowds: 'That Time Is Over' "And this year, the follow-up was the same measures," Meiner said. "Same police presence, same result again for the governor came down for a press conference here, and it was a reality check. This is the reality of what's going to happen here if you don't play by the rules." Read On The Fox News App The "Reality Check" video, viewed more than 53,000 times since it was posted on Feb. 4, shows an eager cast of spring break characters ready to run amok in the city. Along the way, they are disappointed to learn that Miami Beach has strict rules for spring breakers and plans to enforce those rules, leaving them disappointed. Miami Beach Spring Break Crackdown Sends Partiers Packing To Other Beach Towns Those rules ranged from enforcing volume levels of speakers on the beach to implementing security and DUI checkpoints citywide. Throughout spring break, there was a citywide 6 p.m. curfew and $100 parking fees, which made it cost prohibitive for some partiers to access hot spots. The city enlisted state troopers and county police to help local police enforce the strict rules. "I'd come back to Miami Beach, just not for spring break," a cast member says at the end of the video. Florida Spring Break: Fort Lauderdale Welcomes Partiers As State Sends More Police To Vacation Hotspots Meiner couldn't be happier with the results. "The results have been phenomenal," Meiner said. "I mean success at every level you measure it. No killings, no shootings, no major incidents, no stampedes. I can tell you … literally from the hoteliers to restaurants to businesses, everyone's appreciative. And literally, almost universally, our businesses are very appreciative of the steps we took, and [it was] a major success for our city." Residents are thrilled with the outcome too, according to Meiner. "And it's just amazing," he said. "No matter where you go in our city, even people who live, you know, six, seven miles away from where the activity took place, nobody wanted to see their city viewed in a negative light. They're so appreciative." Miami Beach is not the only city looking to cast off its chaotic spring break reputation. Panama City Beach Mayor Stuart Tettemer told Fox News Digital that his city has upped its spring break crime deterrence efforts. "Panama City Beach has taken aggressive steps to maintain order during the Spring Break period, including targeted evening beach closures, enhanced enforcement zones, mutual aid partnerships, and public-private screening efforts at Pier Park," Tettermer said. "PCB is committed to law and order, acting swiftly with law enforcement to keep the community safe and family-friendly, and working with responsible businesses to ensure the unruly spring break legacy stays in the past."Original article source: Spring break crime plummeted in Florida hot spot after warning goes viral
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Miami Beach spring break crackdown sends partiers packing to other beach towns
The mayor of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, which is nestled between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, says Miami Beach's recent crackdown on spring breakers may have sent some partiers north to her town. Her comments come after the Sunny Isles Police Department said it "swiftly and efficiently" broke up a large and unpermitted beach gathering on March 21 with help from neighboring agencies. "I can tell you that we've always been a popular place because we have such beautiful beaches. … We had that very, very large group — something that we're not used to. That was unusual," Sunny Isles Mayor Larisa Svechin told Fox News Digital. "Was that a result of the warnings from Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale? Probably. I would say yes. But once we got out there, we were able to bring everything back to order within less than two hours." Svechin said the town's police department responded rapidly and made clear they "don't play around" and are "not going to tolerate any lawlessness." Florida Spring Break Crowd Kicked Off Beach Amid State's Crackdown On Partiers "Certainly, this wasn't about being able to enjoy the beach. Myself as a teenager enjoyed the beach very much. This is not about that," Svechin said. "This is about underage drinking and … consequently, fighting and unsafe activity that we are not going to tolerate." Read On The Fox News App Party-goers apparently spread a social media post promoting the unpermitted event, which drew a large crowd to the beach, according to local news outlet WSVN. Florida Spring Break: Fort Lauderdale Welcomes Partiers As State Sends More Police To Vacation Hotspots Miami Beach police issued a reality-TV-themed ad campaign last month warning spring breakers that authorities would be on the lookout for unlawful behavior. The ad has apparently deterred spring breakers from visiting Miami and inspired alternative trips to Sunny Isles and Fort Lauderdale. WATCH THE MIAMI BEACH AD: Fort Lauderdale also issued a warning to spring breakers but took a slightly different tune than Miami Beach PD, telling tourists to "know the rules" and "enjoy our city responsibly." But Svechin said local leaders have changed their tune on spring break in recent years, prioritizing residents over visitors moreso than they did in the past. Here's How Miami Beach Successfully Broke Up With Spring Break "As you establish yourself more, and you're able to have businesses and long-term residents, not so many transient residents as we used to, you start to have certain values of the city," the mayor said. Police In Fort Lauderdale Report Surge Of Spring Breakers Amid Miami Beach Crackdown She added that South Florida cities appear to have come to a kind of agreement: that visitors should "come enjoy" the area's beaches, but "behave" themselves. "Because our residents are the ones that are paying for the infrastructure," Svechin said. "We're paying for the police to come out and make sure everyone is safe. We're paying for the cleaning of the beaches, we're paying for the roads, we're paying for all of this." Miami Beach Spring Break Restrictions Proved To Be 'Huge Success' For Residents And Businesses The residents of Sunny Isles Beach and other Florida beach towns "deserve to have peace and quiet," she said, adding that residents in the area aren't made up of so many "snowbirds" as they were in years prior; there are more permanent residents than ever before after the state saw an influx of new residents during the pandemic. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis similarly said during a press conference earlier this month that spring break in Miami saw wild crowds beginning around 2020, when people escaped to Florida during the pandemic because its businesses and public areas remained open while other states were still shut down. "We were thankful for that. Honestly, a lot of businesses came here and never went back. People came here and never went back because they appreciated the quality of life," DeSantis said, "but it also got out of control." The governor added that he was directing state law enforcement to provide additional personnel and assets to Miami Beach and other spring break hot spots over the coming article source: Miami Beach spring break crackdown sends partiers packing to other beach towns
