Miami Beach, along with state officials, are not mincing words when it comes to delivering a clear message to the annual crowd of spring break visitors: be on your best behavior.
After three consecutive years of , Miami Beach officials are implementing monthlong security measures aimed at curbing the chaos, including parking restrictions for non-residents and closing sidewalk cafes on busy weekends.
The city to expect curfews, bag searches at the beach, early beach closures, DUI checkpoints and arrests for drug possession and violence.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that 45 state law enforcement officers are also being deployed to the city to bolster the police.
The for visitors, which went into effect this past weekend, are being put into place to strip away the city's appeal to the party-hard going crowd.
City officials say they have been forced to take action because large rowdy crowds, arrests, and fatal shootings have in recent years overwhelmed law enforcement and residents.
Over the next two weekends, officers are checking bags at beach entrances near Ocean Drive for any banned items, including alcohol, guns, and illegal drugs. Beach entrances near Ocean Drive will close at 6 p.m. The eastbound lanes of the MacArthur and Julia Tuttle causeways will have license plate readers.
State officials have dispatched Florida Highway Patrol troopers to help police with crowd control and a DUI checkpoint on 5th Street.
鈥淔lorida is a very welcoming state. We welcome people to come and have a good time. What we don鈥檛 welcome is criminal activity. What we don鈥檛 welcome is mayhem and people who want to wreak havoc on our communities,鈥� Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters at a press conference in Miami Beach last Tuesday.
The actions have drawn mixed responses.
Some were irked that the city on social media. The "Miami Beach Is Breaking Up With Spring Break" video featured Miami residents telling spring break visitors the relationship between the city and them was over.
Said one woman seen in the video sitting on Miami Beach: 鈥淵ou just wanna get drunk in public and ignore laws. Do you even remember what happened last March?鈥�
The video included the sensational news media headlines noting last year's violent clashes between police and spring break visitors.
鈥淭hat was our breaking point," said another person on the video. "So we鈥檙e breaking up with you, and don鈥檛 try to apologize and come crawling back. This isn鈥檛 safe, so we鈥檙e done.鈥�
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about spring break restrictions in South Florida
Some civil rights advocates said they 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鈥檚 continued popularity correlates to a bump in Black tourism throughout the year.
Stephen Hunter Johnson, an attorney and member of Miami-Dade鈥檚 Black Affairs Advisory Board, that city officials are only cracking down so hard because many of the visitors are Black.
鈥淓verybody loves this idea that they are free from their government intruding on them,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淏ut amazingly, if the government intrudes on Black people, everyone鈥檚 fine with it.鈥�
Miami Beach鈥檚 mayor rejects the notion that the city鈥檚 actions have anything to do with race.
鈥淚 have a moral obligation to keep people safe, and right now, it is not safe,鈥� Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner told the Associated Press.
Impact on businesses
As part of the city's latest crackdown, none of the restaurants on Ocean Drive, the street with colorful art deco hotels and umbrellas for shade, can seat customers outside 鈥� only indoors these next two weekends.
The city also banned slingshot, scooter, and motorcycle rentals over the next two weekends.
That impacts Emmanuel Lopez and his business, He has a which offers tourists tips on finding hotels, restaurants and things to do in the Miami area.
鈥淚 know these restrictions are for the best," he told WLRN. 鈥淲e have to move forward so that this destination is 100% safe, 100% fun and everyone should work together towards that goal.鈥�
Lopez also wants to avoid the bad images of the violence during recent spring breaks on Miami Beach.
To accomplish that, these sacrifices are necessary, says Troy Wright, executive director of the Washington Avenue Business Improvement District, a nonprofit representing property owners and businesses on this South Beach thoroughfare.
鈥淲e need them to continue to believe in the dream of being here on Washington Avenue and Miami Beach,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淔or the restaurants and the hotels, things might get a little challenging ahead but believe me, and have confidence that things that are changing are done for your good and for changing the beach positively.鈥�
After witnessing stampedes, David Wallack, owner of on Ocean Drive, told 港澳天下彩he initially agreed the city should shut down spring break.
鈥淚t just is too dangerous and then time softens the heart,鈥� he said, acknowledging that closing means less income for his esteemed employees.
鈥淚 totally understand the city鈥檚 decisions in doing all of this, but you鈥檙e talking about for a business, any business, not just my business and all my staff making a living for their families, it鈥檚 devastating.鈥�
Another big challenge this year is parking. The city has closed most public lots and jacked up prices at others. One is charging a $100 flat fee.
READ MORE: New parking rules aim to nudge, shove - and even 'sludge' - spring breakers
Mitch Novick, owner of the in South Beach, doesn鈥檛 have a parking lot.
鈥淥ne of my hotel guests rescheduled their trip from March to April when I alerted them. It鈥檚 not just $100, but with the closures, they decided ultimately to reschedule, fortunately.鈥�
Novick鈥檚 customer base is not young people coming for spring break. It includes families, and he doesn鈥檛 want to lose them.
鈥淚鈥檓 worried about the negative experience my guests might have outside and I hear about them,鈥� Novick said. 鈥淭he biggest blow is when they say, 鈥楳itch we鈥檙e no longer coming back here.鈥� That hurts.鈥�
City officials say the breakup with spring break is supposed to help bring people back who avoid the city this time of year.
鈥淪ome people ask me what success will look like on April 1st?鈥� said Meiner, the city's mayor. 鈥淭he answer is having a March without violence. Enough is enough.鈥�
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
