Everyone under the sun is welcome to come to Fort Lauderdale beach for spring break, said the city’s mayor, as long as they obey the law.
“We want to make your spring break experience the best experience you've ever had. Why? Because we want you to come back,” said Mayor Dean Trantalis during a Friday press conference.
The mayor was joined by the city’s police and fire chiefs who discussed increased safety measures the city is taking as they expect to welcome thousands of beach goers during spring break.
READ MORE: City of Miami Beach considers 'shutting the door on spring break'
Some of those tourists will likely be spilling over from Miami Beach, where commissioners have passed "tough new measures aimed at putting an end to the unruly spring break crowds, lawless behavior and string of violent acts that have occurred in recent years," according to the city's Facebook page.
In Fort Lauderdale, new measures include an increased police presence, restrictions on beach activities and the distribution of drug prevention tools along the beach.
“We absolutely want you to be here having fun, going into our establishments, enjoying our beach,” said Police Chief William Schultz. “But while you're here, we will expect proper and non-disruptive behavior.”
Schultz added that there will also be a closer eye on code compliance for bars, businesses and vacation rentals along with stronger enforcement of beach policies. Those include restricting the use of alcohol, coolers and tents in certain areas.
The police department has also provided bars with free drink testing kits for people who think their drinks may have been tampered with.
“If they think their drink has been spiked or something put into it, they can test it with this test strip…Always watch your drink. Keep it close to you and be aware of your surroundings,” he said.
The city’s fire department has taken a similar focus on preventing drug related incidents.
This year the fire department has distributed Narcan to lifeguards and hotels through a partnership with the South Florida Opioid Alliance. The nasal spray is an over-the-counter opioid overdose treatment.
“Having access to Narcan is the difference between life and death,” said Fire Chief Stephen Gollan.
For transportation, the mayor encouraged ride-share apps and Circuit shuttles which will have a $2 fare.
Next week the city commission plans to vote on a measure to allow the city manager to increase parking fees to up to $100 per day in high-trafficked areas if they become too congested. The measure also allows the commission to raise parking violation fines to $125.
”We don't want the beach to get too crowded. So if we see more and more people coming here with vehicles, we're going to have to raise the parking rates to discourage people from wanting to park here on the beach,” Trantalis said while encouraging ride-sharing.
