The city of Miami Beach, Florida recently released an ad campaign to inform spring breakers that it’s officially “breaking up with them.” This new approach by local authorities of the popular vacation destination comes on the back of a rather chaotic Spring Break season for the region in 2023. According to the Miami Beach Police, the 2023 season saw two fatal shootings, 488 arrests, and 105 firearms being seized from the public.
This 2024 season could potentially see more arrests due to the stricter regulations that the city plans to put in place. The city’s ad clearly mentions that there will be limited access to beaches throughout the region. Curfews will also be in effect throughout the city, and police plan to set up DUI checkpoints near popular tourist spots. Bag checks are another security measure that will be set in motion, particularly for spring breakers who are entering the beach area. These checks are aimed at limiting illegal drug use throughout the region. They could potentially also lead to more firearms being seized from tourists, which police hope will reduce the potential for any shootings this season.
The checkpoints, curfews, and other measures that are being implemented to ensure the safety of locals and tourists are set to remain in place from Thursday through Sunday and all throughout the month of March. This will cover the entirety of the Spring Break season, or at least for all of the high schools and colleges in the state of Florida. Only one university and one school district in the state had their vacations before the month of March. None of the larger institutions are scheduled to hold their vacation period outside of March. This could lead local authorities to remove the added safety measures once April rolls around.
Another way that authorities are looking to reduce the number of spring breakers that will head to Miami Beach is by increasing the cost of parking. According to the aforementioned ad campaign, the city plans to set parking fees to a minimum of 100 dollars. This could make Miami Beach a much less affordable destination, particularly with a younger crowd closer to their teen years.
While the ad falls short of mentioning that there will be a no-tolerance policy enforced by police, it does promise an increased presence of law enforcement officials in the area. In a press conference held this Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that an additional 60 state troopers will be deployed to the Miami beach area to help enforce the safety measures that had already been announced by the local police.
This effort to potentially deter spring breakers from heading to the region has sparked a wide range of opinions amongst locals. Some business owners are worried that the safety measures could have a negative impact on their profits, while others welcome the added security features. Throughout the first weekend of the month, there were no major violent incidents reported in the Miami beach area. However, things could change as more tourists arrive over the next few weeks.
