See photos from South Beach as spring break begins during city’s police crackdown
Miami Beach’s strictest spring break measures took effect Friday in anticipation of large crowds, but the mood on Ocean Drive and the beach was calm after the sun set.
Still, the city’s efforts to shut down spring break were easy to spot. Sidewalk seating along Ocean Drive had been removed. Sign displays announced beach entrances would close at 6 p.m. And police cars and ATVs were lined up in Lummus Park, keeping a watchful eye on the strip that has been the site of several shootings during spring break in recent years.
Police set up a DUI checkpoint along Fifth Street and a license-plate reader on the Julia Tuttle and MacArthur causeways that caused lane closures and substantial backups for drivers entering Miami Beach.
Miami Beach officers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers were handing out citations and dumping bottles of alcohol at the checkpoint.
Commissioner Joseph Magazine said he was optimistic that spring break will keep calm with no major incidents.
“We’re still welcoming people that want to come to Miami Beach and have a good time, but you are going to do it under the need to respect our laws,” Magazine said. “If you can do that, you are welcome to come to our city.”
Around 10 p.m., Ocean Drive was buzzing with activity but calm, with relatively sparse crowds compared to peak spring break weekends in past years.
Dozens of police officers blanketed the area in cars and on bikes and ATVs. Miami Beach police spokesperson Christopher Bess said 18 different local, state and federal law enforcement agencies will be patrolling during the weekend.
Read more: As Miami Beach spring break begins, ‘law and order’ plan exposes political tensions
Young visitors in South Beach said they were acutely aware of the city’s well-advertised campaign to discourage spring break chaos. Several told the Miami Herald they saw a viral video on social media in which the city announced it was “breaking up” with spring break.
“Of course we did. It’s everywhere,” said Josh Pryor, 21, a senior at Georgia State University.
Pryor said crowds this year were so far smaller than they were when he visited Miami Beach during spring break in 2022. “It’s just a different scene. There’s still a good amount of people here, but it’s not the same,” he said.
Pryor’s friend, a Georgia State senior who identified himself as Scott, said he understood the city’s approach. “As sad as it is, I understand,” he said. “We’re mature enough to be like, ‘Okay, let’s be safe so people don’t lose their lives.’”
Some people sought to capitalize on the city’s restrictions by inviting spring breakers to events across the bay in the city of Miami.
An event planner from Washington, D.C., who goes by the name Lo’devinci, was on South Beach late Friday afternoon advertising a party at a warehouse in Little Haiti. He wore a T-shirt that read, “Spring break will never die.”
“We’re having events across the bridge,” he said, adding that he believes the city should encourage spring breakers who congregate on Ocean Drive to instead go to safe, indoor events.
“The thing with people is you just have to direct them,” he said. “You can’t just tell them, ‘Hey, get the [expletive] out of here and kick them off. I think the city should maybe have a different approach about it.”
A group of visitors from Charlotte, North Carolina, said Miami Beach’s measures felt punitive and unfair.
“For people who know how to act, I feel like they shouldn’t be penalized for other people acting crazy,” said Aziah Lee, 21. “We come out here. We don’t bother anybody. We’re just here to get away from home. It’s not all of us.”
Lee and three friends said they booked their stay at the Essex House on Ocean Drive months ago and learned about the city’s restrictions when it was too late to change their plans.
“When the commercial came out, it was like, ‘Dang, they’re canceling the whole spring break. We already paid for everything,’” said Amaya Moulton, 19.
Miami Beach officials have warned visitors to “expect curfews,” but no curfew was announced Friday. City Manager Alina Hudak would first need to declare a state of emergency for a curfew to take effect.
This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 7:50 PM.
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