Miami Beach officials will impose a series of strict regulations, beginning next month, to dissuade young people from flocking to the city during the annual spring break celebration.
The city will impose curfews, bag searches at the beach, early beach closures, a license plate reader and arrests for drug possession and violence. A traffic plan will also be implemented that’s intended to reduce impacts in residential areas.
“ Law and order is the number one priority in our city, and there is no compromising on that,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner at a press conference Tuesday announcing the temporary policy.
Among the other moves being taken in the month of March: $100 parking fees, sobriety checkpoints, restricting beach access and doubling nonresident towing rates.
Meiner credited the same tough rules put in place last year to control spring break crowds with making the city safer with "zero fatalities, zero shootings, zero stampedes.”
Last year, following three consecutive years of spring break violence, Miami Beach officials implemented monthlong security measures aimed at curbing the chaos, including parking restrictions for non-residents and closing sidewalk seating on busy weekends.
READ MORE: Miami Beach imposes strict measures directed at spring break visitors
This year, March 13-16 and March 20-23 are expected to bring the highest volume of spring break visitors to the city, which is home to about 80,000 residents but balloons during the winter with tourists.
Despite the success in thwarting violence last year, Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones acknowledged that the strict measures increased traffic for some residents and drove away patrons from some businesses.
“We apologize, but this is necessary,” Jones told reporters at Tuesday’s press conference. “I know it's painful. Short term pain for long term gain.”
City officials said they have been forced to take the action because large rowdy crowds, arrests, and fatal shootings had in recent years overwhelmed law enforcement and residents.
In 2023, there were two fatal shootings and three people were shot the year prior, according to Melissa Berthier, the director of Marketing and Communications.
“Since 2022, 291 guns have been impounded during the spring break period,” Berthier told WLRN via email.
This year's temporary regulations are coupled with a marketing campaign featuring a reality TV spoof video intended to give disorderly spring breakers a “reality check” about the stringent regulations expected in March. VML, an international marketing agency, was paid $425,000 to produce the video, according to Berthier.
