Florida’s rightwing Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, will deploy state troopers to help with crowd control during the spring break season, warning that the Sunshine state would not “tolerate lawlessness”.
About 140 state troopers will be sent across Florida to assist 17 law enforcement agencies, as thousands of college students make their way en masse to popular spring break destinations, the Miami Herald reported.
At least 60 of those officers will be stationed in south Florida, mostly in Miami Beach, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. Spring break hotspots such as Daytona Beach and Panama City will also have an increased police presence, DeSantis said.
During the announcement on Tuesday, DeSantis warned potential visitors that there would be consequences for lawless behavior, WPLG reported.
“We’re a law-and-order state,” DeSantis said. “You are going to pay the price and be held accountable if you’re coming for reasons other than to have fun. That is not gonna fly in the Sunshine state.”
DeSantis said that state troopers will act as security for more residential areas and help maintain order amid the surge of visitors. The deployed officers will also help direct traffic and oversee DUI sobriety checkpoints.
On Tuesday, DeSantis was joined by the Miami Beach mayor, Steven Meiner, who requested additional law enforcement as part of an ongoing initiative to “end spring break” in his city, NBC Miami reported.
“We are going to see 45 Florida troopers out on our streets,” Meiner said. “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.”
Bag checks and restricted beach access will also be in place in Miami Beach, as officials work to curtail chaos.
The latest crackdown comes after past spring break seasons have been mired with larger crowds, disorderly conduct and violence.
In 2023, two deadly shootings occurred in Miami Beach, with more than 100 guns confiscated by police, NBC Miami reported. Police arrested 488 people, and 230 people were charged with felonies.
• This article’s headline was amended on 6 March 2024 to refer to state police troopers, rather than “troops” as an earlier version said.
