MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Thursday in Miami Beach to discuss state resources being deployed to help local agencies ensure a smooth spring break.
Press play above to re-watch the news conference
DeSantis said the Florida Highway Patrol began deploying resources to support local agencies in late February and will continue to give that assistance through April.
As of this week, 12 local agencies have requested assistance and more than 100 troopers will be deployed, according to DeSantis.
“I’m directing state law enforcement agencies to provide the additional personnel and assets that are needed to our local entities here in Miami Beach, but also in other places around the state, to ensure they have had the resources they need to keep the peace over these upcoming weeks of spring break,” DeSantis said.
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Apart from additional law enforcement personnel, DeSantis said there are also additional assets on standby to be deployed if needed, including drones, aviation assets and K-9 units.
“It’s a very welcoming city, but at the same time, you know, we can’t have things just descend into madness and mayhem and chaos,” DeSantis said.
The enhanced security measures, including parking restrictions and increased fees for nonresidents, began last year. The rules were introduced after three consecutive years of spring break violence.
Now, the city is again warning visitors to expect curfews, bag searches at the beach, early beach closures, DUI checkpoints and arrests for drug possession and violence.
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But some civil rights advocates believe the restrictions are racially motivated.
South Beach became popular among Black tourists about two decades ago as promoters organized Urban Beach Week during the Memorial Day weekend. Many locals have complained about violence and other crime associated with the event, which led to an increased police presence. But the event’s continued popularity correlates to a bump in Black tourism throughout the year.
Stephen Hunter Johnson, an attorney and member of Miami-Dade’s Black Affairs Advisory Board, said city leaders are using a brief spike in violence as an excuse to discourage Black visitors.
Most of the problems experienced by Miami Beach in recent years began during the pandemic, when Florida remained open while other popular tourist destinations around the U.S. were locked down, and officials are unfairly crediting the new spring break restrictions with decreasing violence last year, Johnson said.
On Thursday, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said that the strict measures put in place last year were successful.
“We had no fatalities, no shootings, no stampedes. Hotel occupancy last year, in 2024 was up from 2023,” Meiner said. “We kept people safe, and our businesses boomed.”