Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) provided new details on the state’s increased presence of law enforcement ahead of the spring break season, warning travelers that they will be held accountable if they create havoc while visiting.
The Florida governor said he contacted Miami Beach and several other communities across the state to offer them increased state support to prevent crime during spring break, a problem that commonly plagues Florida every March. As a result of the offer, Florida Highway Patrol received requests from 17 different law enforcement agencies asking for at least 140 troopers to help keep order during spring break, with DeSantis stating that Florida would be honoring “every single one of those requests.”
“Make no mistake about it, if you’re coming here in order to enjoy Florida, enjoy to have a good time, fine,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Miami. “If you’re coming for these other reasons, if you’re committing crimes, causing havoc, you are going to pay the price, and we will hold you accountable because that’s what we do here. I know some people may be coming from other jurisdictions where they can get away with this type of activity. That is not going to fly in the Sunshine State.”
Precautions the state is taking in Miami include having police officers patrolling both on foot and in vehicles, checkpoints for drivers under the influence, bag checks, curfews, and early beach closures. Additionally, FHP will have 24 Quick Response troopers who will be ready for deployment if necessary in Bay, Volusia, Broward, and Dade counties.
DeSantis announced last month that the state would be taking various precautions against crime ahead of spring break season, as he wants Florida to provide resources to local law enforcement proactively. The precautions were taken as the state has had to deal with some “really serious incidents” over the last couple of years, such as murders and fights with police.
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Over the weekend, Miami Beach announced a social media campaign titled “Spring Break Up,” which criticized vacationers who travel to the city during spring break to “get drunk in public and ignore laws.” The video featured in the campaign listed a number of precautions that the city was taking to stop people from breaking the law.
Florida has become a popular destination for many college students in March. Last year, the state was the most popular for spring break domestic travelers.
