Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is sending more law enforcement to Miami Beach and other spring break destinations throughout the state in an effort to keep things under control.
DeSantis made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday at the Miami Beach Convention Center where he was joined by Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass and Dave Kerner, Executive Director of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
DeSantis said the state will provide about 60 Florida Florida State troopers in South Florida and an additional 24 that are part of a quick response team.
Other law enforcement assets are being sent to spring break hotspots like Daytona Beach and Panama City Beach, DeSantis said.
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The Republican governor stressed law and order across the state and said this year he didn't want to wait until a state of emergency was declared.
"We don't welcome mayhem," DeSantis said. “The state has a lot going on, it’s a fun place to be at and we want to see people do that, but we also are going to insist that people respect the law."
Meiner said he requested the reinforcement and discussed the strict measures the city is implementing in the hopes of "putting an end to spring break" in the city.
"We are going to see 45 Florida Troopers out on our streets," said Meiner. "But really, law and order don't happen only in the month of March...it's sending a message every single day that we are going to enforce the laws here."
Miami Beach spring break
The tough new measures are being put in place this year after recent spring break seasons have seen unruly crowds, lawless behavior and a string of violent acts.
The different new measures include a $100 parking rate for March 7–10 and March 14–17 for city parking garages and surface lots in the Entertainment District.
Entry to the city parking garages and surface lots in the Entertainment District will also be restricted from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. The parking garage closures will not apply to residents, access cardholders and authorized employees.
The non-resident towing rate will be double the normal rate of $516.
Sidewalk cafés on Ocean Drive will be closed on March 8–10 and March 15–17.
A DUI sobriety checkpoint will be in place along the 400 block of 5 Street starting at 5 p.m. over March 8-9 and March 15-16. Packaged liquor stores in the Entertainment District will strictly adhere to the 8 p.m. regular closing time.
A chaotic 2023 spring break in Miami Beach saw two deadly shootings and 488 arrests — more than 230 of which were felony offenses, according to Miami Beach Police. More than 100 firearms were seized. Scenes of the chaos along Ocean Drive appeared in national news shows.
