Chaos in Florida for spring break as ‘takeovers’ overwhelm beaches and law enforcement
Thousands of spring breakers are gathering on Florida beaches this month, prompting police to step up operations and take action against so-called “takeover” events.
Authorities in Volusia County, Florida, are working to penalize social media users who promote large, unauthorized spring break events, sometimes called “takeovers.”
Volusia County will likely become the first in the state to impose financial penalties on such developers, Sheriff Michael Chitwood told reporters Tuesday. The county is home to popular spring break destinations like Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach.
“We’re going to pursue you civilly. We’re going after all of your assets. It goes to every promoter. You promote a truck event, you promote a buyout event, we’re going after you financially,” Chitwood said.
These events can “endanger public safety,” Chitwood said.
“There is a way to do business. Get permits. You do things the right way,” he added.
Authorities also ordered a “special event zone” in the area from 11 a.m. Friday until at least Sunday, which will allow officers to issue higher traffic fines and other penalties, Chitwood said.
Tuesday was the busiest spring break so far in New Smyrna Beach, according to local police.
“We are experiencing heavy traffic, large crowds of young people and increased activity throughout the city, particularly in seaside areas and along main roads,” the agency said. “Expect delays, limited parking and high pedestrian volumes. »
Volusia County police seized six guns and arrested 133 people during spring break celebrations last weekend, Chitwood said Monday.
The sheriff also addressed social media rumors about a shooting in Daytona Beach over the weekend, which he called “absolute bullshit.”
“There was no gunshot on the beach because what they were doing was smashing a water bottle to make the sound of a gunshot to scare the crowd away,” Chitwood said.
Video shared by the sheriff’s office shows a large crowd running on the beach.
“I was there, the chief was there. We were in the middle of it all. People might not want to hear it, but everyone we came in contact with was absolutely polite,” Chitwood continued.
The sheriff said he is proud of his deputies for the work they did over the weekend.
“We arrested people from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, etc. Everybody was there,” he said.
“And again, like I said, everyone we encountered, we made an arrest in a crowd of 1,000 people, no one said anything. They let us do our job. And when we told people to leave, they left,” he added.
