DeSantis doubles down on spring break crackdown to curb "madness and mayhem"
Saying he wants to keep spring break from descending into business-harming "madness and mayhem and chaos," Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday supported another year of increased law enforcement across the state during the popular tourism period.
DeSantis said he has directed state law enforcement officials to provide personnel to Miami Beach and other cities requesting assistance through April.
"There's a lot of great reasons to want to come here, and we welcome that and we'll continue to welcome that," DeSantis said while at Z Hotel in Miami Beach.
"But it's got to be done in a way that is good for everybody."
In 2024, more than 140 state troopers were deployed to at least 17 communities considered among the state's traditional spring break hotspots.
Troopers were involved in such duties as crowd control, DUI checkpoints and helping identify people with outstanding warrants and stolen vehicles.
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said 2024 was an improvement over previous years.
"We had no fatalities, no shootings, no stampedes," Meiner said.
"Hotel occupancy last year, in 2024, was up from 2023. Our hotel room rate last year was the highest in the nation for the month of March. That is success on every level."
