Miami Beach is bracing for a weekend with the ‘most bloodshed’ – the one which has traditionally been the rowdiest of the entire Spring Break period.
College students usually turn the main drag into a huge street party at this time of year, blocking traffic as they drink and dance to thumping music.
But strict new measures mean the Spring Break ritual is a much quieter affair this year.
The south Florida city has enacted new rules to stamp out partying which has year after year go out of control resulting in violence. This time last March, two people were killed in shootings.
Police made 488 arrests, including 230 felonies. More than 105 firearms were also seized.
Spring breakers party at a bar on Las Olas Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Wednesday
Excited spring breakers gather around a couple of boys wrestling on the sands
Shots delivered by super-soakers are a popular sight during Spring Break
Police patrol the streets on their bike in South Beach, Florida
Sola, usually a raging restaurant and club on Washington Avenue, is seemingly quieter this year likely due to additional restrictions to fend off wild spring breakers, seen Wednesday
Police have stepped up their presence and are visibly patrolling the streets with the help of other state and federal agencies.
While those who made it to Miami have to go through DUI checkpoints and barricades and there have been around 100 arrests so far this year with the stricter measures.
‘So, since the duration of spring break, which has started last weekend, we have a little over 100 arrests so far, which according to the data, we’re down about 14 percent,’ officer Chris Bess said.
To keep things under control, Miami Beach officials have deployed more police, set up extra drink-driving checkpoints and shut down all public parking lots except one which charges $100 on what will be the busiest weekend of Spring Break.
Ocean Drive, typically the party hub for the thousands who descend on Miami Beach, has looked much calmer than normal this week.
The booming music, crowds of scantily-clad youngsters and occasional whiff of marijuana smoke were all gone from the city’s iconic avenue with its distinctive Art Deco buildings.
Instead, it seems the bulk of partygoers have headed 30 miles north to Fort Lauderdale.
Just like Miami Beach, many seaside cities in south Florida are magnets for students keen to let off steam during their Easter break.
So far, despite busy beaches and bars officials were keen to crow to DailyMail.com as to how successful authorities have been at keeping things calm with just two Spring Breaker-related arrests this week.
College kids usually transform Miami Beach’s main seaside drag into a street party, blocking traffic as they dance to thumping music, but this time the ritual known as Spring Break is a much more muted affair
The City of Miami Beach closed the streets in South Beach during this past weekend
Tourists leave the beach at sunset after Miami Beach police closed access during Spring Break, last weekend
Tourists leave the beach as soon as the sun goes down on South Beach
Police help clear the beach as soon as the sun sets on South Beach
Revelers pet horses on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach during the Spring Break
‘Our spring break crowds have been as expected so far this year, with this week being the busiest week we are anticipating. We have not had any major issues or disturbances though we’ve had [two] isolated arrests [for disorderly conduct],’ the office of Police Chief William Schultz revealed.
Meanwhile, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis sent 140 state troopers to Miami Beach together with a load of other resources such as drones and license plate readers to tackle any spring break-related crime.
Miami Beach Commissioner David Suarez said he specifically reached out to the Governor saying: ‘Hey, instead of coming on the last weekend when there are no shootings, there are no stampedes, we want to be proactive.’
Last year’s mess ‘completely ruined [the city’s] brand as a city’ and was a huge concern for voters in last year’s elections, Suarez said.
On a practical level DUI checkpoints, restricted beach access, bag checks, and curfews have been introduced.
Two girls are seen wrestling on the sands on Fort Lauderdale Beach
Fort Lauderdale is seen bustling with young beachgoers as the spring sunshine hits
Groups of guys are seen jostling with one another while being cheered on by friends
Bars and restaurants cannot open sidewalk café areas, while liquor stores must close at 8pm.
Just how well this coming weekend goes will be the true test of whether the city’s attempt to distance itself from the co-ed chaos has worked.
The city has made its message loud and clear in a video shared on social media which declares Miami Beach as ‘breaking up with Spring Break’.
‘Hey, We need to talk,’ a young woman sitting by the ocean says as the ad begins. ‘Our idea of a good time is relaxing on the beach.’
‘Hitting up the spa,’ says another girl.
‘Or checking out a new restaurant,’ says a young man.
‘You just want to get drunk in public and ignore laws,’ says the first woman, after which yet another young woman says: ‘so we’re breaking up with you.’
One group of friends can be seen posing for photographs after the sun went down on the Florida city
The remains of what appears to have been a good night out
Bars were packed midweek in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday night
Spring Breakers appeared to be in good spirits for a Wednesday
Some people will do anything to get attention when it comes to partying during Spring Break
A group of friends take a selfie bathed in a pink glow
Two young women are seen walking the streets, still in their beachwear
Everyone seems to be on their best behavior in this particular picture from Fort Lauderdale
As night descended on the beach area, partygoers continued drinking well into the night with groups pictured posing outside of bars and clubs
Two gentlemen wear silly shirts as they enjoy a night out in Fort Lauderdale
A group of women are seen sitting on barricades alongside the beach
Beachgoers headed into the bars on Wednesday night to enjoy their vacation
The partying appeared to spill out of the bars and onto the sidewalks
Some people were dressed in shirts, while others only wore shorts in all states of undress
Revelers danced the night away while sipping on their drinks
A group of girls got up on stage at Señor Frog’s on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard
‘Who your mayor is and who your local leaders are make all the difference in the world how safe your city is,’ former FBI agent and Miami Beach resident, Nicole Parker said to Fox News on Wednesday.
‘If you’re in law enforcement and your local officials do not let you enforce the laws and your hands are tied, you can expect crime, you can expect violence, you can expect problems.
‘Everyone has stepped up to the line… and it’s been beautiful… We love having guests in Miami Beach. We love having people come and enjoy the beautiful beaches we have here. But trashing the city and forcing residents to have to leave during spring break because they don’t want to be here for it is unacceptable.’
One student named Shannon McKinney has just found out about the new rules and is furious. She cannot go to the beach after 6pm — a closing time that’s four hours earlier than other times of the year.
‘It’s kind of wack because we just want to have fun. We’re not here to promote violence. We came a long way and we spent money,’ said McKinney, who lives in New Orleans and traveled to Miami Beach with her sister and some friends.
Conae Rhodes, a 25-year-old woman from Virginia, was more understanding of the new restrictions.
‘I kind of understand where they’re coming from because of the Spring Break being here every year. There are always people who don’t know how to act or don’t know how to control their liquor,’ she said.
With restrictions heavily enforced in Miami Beach, much of the party has moved 30 miles north, to Fort Lauderdale
Spring Breakers are seen enjoying themselves on the sands of Fort Lauderdale
Beaches were inundated with people who were seen enjoying a day before nighttime events
The Atlantic Ocean appears warm enough for some to take a quick dip
After the long winter, it appears most people are ready for a bit of sunshine
Beaches looked packed this past weekend on Fort Lauderdale beach
There were plenty of people out enjoying the waves in the Atlantic
A group of girls are seen going for a stroll along the sands in Fort Lauderdale
During the daytime at least, the crowds seems to be well behaved
Officials in Fort Lauderdale say only two drunk and disorderly arrests have been made this week
One woman appeared to find the waters rather chilly
Fort Lauderdale appears to be the place to go for partygoers with Miami Beach shunning them
The city’s crackdown has also drawn mixed responses from people who live year-round in Miami Beach.
Musician Joel Hernandez, 54, said he understands the need for safety as Spring Break has become more chaotic in recent years — though he blames troublemakers rather than students for the problems.
Still, he says the new measures go too far.
‘I live a few blocks from downtown and this complicates things for me. It is like we are going into a war zone, with everything closed down,’ he said.
‘In the end you don’t feel safer but rather you are afraid something is going to happen,’ said Hernandez.
Janet Alvarado, who manages a restaurant one block from Ocean Drive, complained that the new rules actually are hurting businesses like hers.
‘Now we have a lot of safety but we don’t have customers,’ said Alvarado. ‘They’ve gone too far for small businesses that are trying to make ends meet.’
Hernandez said measures risked damaging the image and charm of Miami Beach as a place to let your hair down and have fun.
One man shows off his snake to passersby on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Laurderdale
Have you really been on Spring Break without getting a cheesy t-shirt as a souvenir?
Two girls look particularly relaxed following a good night out in Fort Laurderdale
Two spring breakers pose for the camera, some with a drink in hand
A couple share a kiss as one man looks on from above
Despite it being dark, the spring breakers continued to wear their bikini tops into the night
Down the road in Miami business owners in Miami are furious claiming they are paying the price for the city-wide crackdown on Spring Break following two deadly shootings last year
Locals noticed a huge dip in crowds compared to previous years and there were very few people out on Ocean Drive on Sunday with many flocking to Lauderdale Beach (pictured)
‘What’s happening is very sad. Let’s hope they ease the restrictions a bit in the next few years,’ she said.
‘You know that’s understandable – when people run a business they’ve got to make money and spring break is a hot time to make money,’ Parker said on Fox & Friends.
‘But frankly, as a former FBI agent and law enforcement officer, safety comes first and protecting the citizens comes first… There have been entirely too many shootings, too many deaths, and it has frankly ruined the brand of Miami Beach.
‘I think that business owners, a lot of them actually welcome this because they know that the clientele coming in aren’t going to trash their hotels, they’re not going to trash their stores,’ Parker said. ‘When people feel safe, it’s going to bring a different… group of individuals to celebrate spring break.
‘Breaking up with spring break, it’s worked and people are heading north. I hope nothing bad happens, but this weekend is going to be the true test I believe.’