TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- This year the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), at the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis sent letters to each Sheriff’s Office and Police Department in the State of Florida prior to the beginning of spring break offering assistance and increased law enforcement presence in their areas and maintain law and order.
On March 5, 2024, at a press conference held in Miami Beach Governor DeSantis announced that Florida would surge law enforcement personnel and assets across the state to ensure law and order over Spring Break. During this press conference it was announced that FHP had been requested to assist 17 law enforcement agencies statewide in areas where spring break revelry had caused violence and increased criminal activity.
“Florida may be popular for spring break, but it is inhospitable to criminal activity,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Florida does not tolerate lawlessness and chaos. I directed state law enforcement agencies to provide additional personnel and assets to local entities to ensure that they had the resources they need to keep the peace over spring break.”
Miami Beach, a popular spring break destination, has experienced several violent events in the past two years. As a result, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner and city officials launched a campaign to ‘Break up with Spring Break.‘
The aim of the campaign was to educate both visitors and residents about the new rules and ordinances to minimize criminal activity and violence while providing a sense of safety that lawlessness would not be tolerated.
With nearly 50 FHP Troopers assigned to Miami Beach P.D., the city experienced a peaceful spring break with no significant issues. Other popular spring break destinations in South Florida, such as the Florida Panhandle, Central Florida, and Big Bend, also saw a decrease in crime compared to previous years.
FHP deployed over 140 State Troopers to these locations who requested assistance. Troopers helped by increasing the law enforcement presence, conducting traffic enforcement and DUI checkpoints, patrolling areas on foot or in their vehicles, and assisting with lane closures. They also provided relief to local agencies so that their personnel were not overworked during the busy spring break period.
Last week, during a press conference in Miami Beach, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said about spring break 2024, “I think it worked really well, really smoothly, and we’ll see what happens next year, but it was all good.”
“The Florida Highway Patrol is proud to have been part of an overwhelming successful team effort,” said Executive Director Dave Kerner. “Florida is a law-and-order state, and with the backing of Governor DeSantis law, enforcement from across the state came together to ensure that this spring break was safe for residents and visitors alike.”
