In response to the influx of tourists and college students that leave the city of Fort Lauderdale a complete mess by the end of spring break and the angry residents that are fed up with their violent acts and lawless behaviors. This spring break strict laws and restrictions are going to be enforced by law enforcement all over the city.
Fort Lauderdale and its locals have had enough of the thousands of tourists, specifically college students, who come during spring break and leave Daytona Beach an absolute mess with trash everywhere due to the extreme parties held every spring break.
The city of Fort Lauderdale is known as the hottest party place for spring break, as thousands of college students and tourists come every year to party day and night. Before these new restrictions were implemented, non-residents and tourists that came to Fort Lauderdale in recent years have caused unruly crowds and have wreaked havoc on communities with violence and numerous people being shot outside bars as well as multiple stampedes that have taken place in popular night spots, Ocean Drive.
Despite its reputation for being the ultimate party zone, the city is now cracking down on every little move made by non-residents. Those CBS News spoke to on Ocean Drive last Sunday said the difference between this Spring Break compared to last year’s is like night and day. More so, other tourists who visited the city have also noticed a change, “Like, I was expecting a lot of chaos but it’s been very calm,” said Franchesca Vitale, who is visiting from Canada.
Details of the new restrictions implemented for non-residents include closing sidewalk cafés on busy weekends and scanning vehicles with license plate readers. More so, Alcohol consumption is now banned on the beaches in Fort Lauderdale and law enforcement will be circulating on horseback, bikes, and ATVs during spring break this year. Other strict rules also include: no outdoor dining on Ocean Drive; parking bans; DUI checkpoints; and no alcohol sales after 8 p.m.
The new rules implemented by Miami Beach on tourists in Fort Lauderdale seem to be effective, as there have been at least 10 spring break-related arrests just in Fort Lauderdale, but according to Miami Beach police, 143 arrests have been made with more to come. However, Locals say they are happy with the arrests being made as they can finally walk down their streets peacefully without any chaos or garbage. “You see a cop car every 10 feet. I went to Publix, and I couldn’t buy a bottle of wine after eight, surprisingly,” said local resident Alexey Yashkichev.
Furthermore, Fort Lauderdale makes millions of dollars in revenue from tourists and college students who come to parties, especially bars, lounges, and other places. However, these businesses are at risk of losing thousands of dollars in profit due to the strict restrictions and curfews.Michael Witt, the operator of M2 nightclub, said he has been impacted. “In lost revenue up to half a million dollars this weekend,” he told CBS News Saturday.However, currently there are no possible solutions that F. Lauderdale is coming up with to address this issue but, owners have attempted to file lawsuits against the city but mostly all of them have been struck down.
