I expect a lot of partying and a lot of people having fun and things like that, but didn't expect the level of like vandalism and violence involved.". I feel like we are far better prepared going into this spring break than we have been in the past, Panama City Police Chief Mark Smith said. THE ULTIMATE SPRING BREAK VIP CARD FOR 30 YEARS! Panama City Beach to announce changes for spring breaker in - WTVM Caught in the crossfire of chaos were residents and vacationing families. We appreciate everyones cooperation and understanding.. "That's the part that's disheartening," Sheldon said of tourists who now might not want to come back. "Have upfront raw communication with children. News provided by. The city and Bay County have had special ordinances in place for Spring Break since 2016. Alabama 'criminals' went to 'create havoc' at Panama City Beach, mayor From last years season, Robert Santrell Petty, 18, of Ozark, and Danyell Demetrice Reese, 26, of Headland, have outstanding arrest warrants in the coastal city. Crowds remained on the sidewalks, while vehicular traffic was also heavy, he reportedly said. Climbing, jumping from, or throwing things from balconies is not allowed. "As I was walking through the crime scenes Sunday, all I could think about is 'This is not our beach. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. - It's known as the spring break capital of the world. Local officials said the city was targeted by a group of . Other City ordinances which will be strictly enforced, according to the City, include: Talamantez said Panama City Beach police are patrolling all beach areas, assisted by PCB Code Enforcement and Beach Safety personnel. Florida law enforcement officials say they arrested 78 people from Alabama in Panama City Beach, Fla., over the weekend and confiscated 75 guns as spring break revelry devolved into chaos. Spring Break. LikeTrepanier,Volkov said the weekend wasa reminder on why PCB officials have worked tirelessly during the past decade to rebrand the area into a family-friendly destination, and not a hotspot for lawless and rowdy tourists. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital), Spring breakers drive up and down S Pier Park Drive enjoying the nightlife in Panama City Beach, Florida. Rogue Wave was amulti-agency operation involvingthe 14th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the Panama City Police Department, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the U.S. PANAMA CITY BEACH Fla. (WMBB) Spring breakers are in Panama City Beach and even with a pandemic, this year is no different. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most dominant basketball players in NBA history and is now also a larger-than-life entertainer! Spring break rules begin March 1st in Panama City Beach In one reported incident, an Alabama man was shot in the foot. Panama City Beachs spring break rules go into effect. PCBPD releases statement on spring break crowds, Panama City man charged with DUI after hitting SRO with car, Judge sets bond for 76-year-old woman accused of killing terminally ill husband, Man facing more charges after arrest on active warrants in Jackson County, Chipley falls in title game, South Walton beats Walton on the baseball diamond, Arnold falls on softball diamond. 1:38 PANAMA CITY BEACH With the spring break season here, Daryl Paul says it's crucial for everyone to follow the beach flag warning system. The consumption of alcohol in parking lots and in vehicles is not allowed. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Panama City Beach Police Department told NewsChannel 7 they are continuing to deal with large crowds of spring breakers. There are 15 individuals that came to Panama City Beach and had so much fun here. "I never expected this. While the area has a total population of only 15,000, it attracts more than 4.5 million visitors every year, who come to enjoy the hot summer sun and witness the various unique attractions . We encourage our residents to call our police dispatch if they need anything and to remember we are here as a city to protect everyone.. Panama City Beach Police Department officials released the following statement to NewsChannel 7. If they are still wanting to continue their party atmosphere, they come over to the Panama City side to the adult establishments which are open for the extra two hours, Chief Smith said. We appreciate everyones cooperation and understanding.. They also said that while residents might feel wronged by Marchregulations put in place because of the sins of past spring breakers, officials cannot pass specific rules for only one group of people. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital), Police break up spring break crowd at Panama City Beach. More than 100 people congregated in the Walmart parking lot during the riot and wereshown on video taking over the store. Talamantez said it is important for parents and teachers to monitor their children online and to have a talk with them about the dangers of online predators. Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said that 161 people were arrested and jailed over the weekend and that officers seized 75 guns. We are a small blip on a big map and we were still able to arrest 24 people and put them in custody for these offenses.". Florida: Over 160 arrested in Panama City beach as spring break crowds Music heard more than 25 feet away is illegal. Panama City Beach Police don't mess around when it comes to rule-breakers. A shooting occurred during spring break in Panama City, March 28, 2015. I still can't wrap my head around it," Hooker said. At a press conference on Monday, law. Spring breakers let loose amid nationwide crime spike - Fox News With the help ofinformation gathered online, they were able to locate ongoing crimes through the Bay Real Time Operations Center, a new division that accesses and utilizes live feeds from traffic lights and security cameras throughout the county. ", 160 arrests, 75 guns seized during PCB spring break, Residents, vacationing families caught in crossfire of PCB chaos, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. ( WMBB) Massive crowds forced road closures and led many local businesses to close early on Panama City Beach over the weekend. 1. Law enforcement and city officials are cracking down on those who don't abide by the rules this spring break. Unfortunately, you cant ban people from coming here and you never know the type of people who choose to vacation here," Hooker said. Copyright 2022 WJHG. Many of those arrested were from Alabama.Panama City Beach Police Department, In the wake of what officials termed a lawless spring break in 2022, Panama City Beach adopted a series of so-called spring break laws.. PANAMA CITY BEACH Local law enforcement officials say they will not tolerate tourists who bring crime to the Beach.. Hawkins and Miller said they were nervous learning about all the events that were happening, scared they would get kidnapped with all the people running around at night. A Dothan man has been arrested and charged with one count of rape. Double red flags signify a ban on entry into the Gulf. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Panama City Beach's spring break rules go into effect "The sad thing about it was we had people who had prom reservations birthday reservations (and) anniversary reservations that we had to cancel just because of the lunacy that was going on.". Panama City Beach spring break crime: Social media alerted police to pending madness Nathan Cobb The News Herald 0:04 1:33 PANAMA CITY BEACH Local law enforcement officials say. "I saw the old Spring Break, and I've seen the new Spring Break, (which was better until Saturday night).". "Our staff had to continue to accommodate them in the middle of all this destructive behavior, so their safety was put at risk.". We dont rent to anyone whos under 21, clearly, Evans said. Police may also temporarily close the beaches if things get out of hand. TheBeach experienced an onslaughtof what are being dubbed "true criminals" onFriday evening,complete with a shooting, crowdsand even a stampede at the Walmart at the intersection of Front Beach and Middle Beach roads. Talamantez added that law enforcement officialswanted to get ahead of any issues beforethe Memorial Day weekend, saying they already have detected a potential issuefrom a local business owner. Talamantez and Beach Mayor Mark Sheldon also said that one of the things they are most frustrated about is that this weekend might have scared off first-time visitors who do not know how hard officials have worked during the past decade to rebrand the area into a family-friendly destination. Panama City Beach resident Franis Vanzuelasaid she wants to see more places closedown, so the spring breakers can leave. PANAMA CITY BEACH A portion of the beach will once again be closed overnight this spring. Panama City Beach reminds beachgoers to follow flag - newsherald.com Panama City Beach spring break crime: Social media alerted - Yahoo! This 84-room, 4-story hotel is located on Panama City Beach Parkway, centrally located to the area's beaches, Conservation Park and Pier Park. "These individuals jumped at the opportunity to try to have sex with a kid; 24 in this small beach town were taken into custody," Talamantez said. Their sole intention is to break the law andcause havoc. "That's not just because we're scared of (those words). Florida spring breakers carry on in Panama City, far away - Fox News Spring breakers drive up and down S Pier Park Drive enjoying the nightlife in Panama City Beach, Florida. Panama City Beach adopts 'spring break laws' after 'lawless' 2022 "I feel like (law enforcement)haven't handled it too great because there's been like a lot of people getting shot and places getting vandalized," Vanzuela said. "This is a perfect place away from the spring break crowd!". Panama City Beach woman . "This act that he wants to bring to town has actually been investigated for a racketeering case involving homicide and money laundering, drug trafficking, a bunch of other things.". Any holes dug should be properly filled in for the safety of all. "We went ahead and fed the people who were already in the restaurant, and then we started calling everybody who had later reservations and told them we (needed) to close for safety concerns,"Trepanier said. "I've been here when Spring Break was a bunch of good college kids (who) got a little crazy, but there weren't any guns and there wasn't any violence, and then we had those several bad years (where there was) that real bad element of people coming here who weren't spring breakers, but people looking to prey on spring breakers," he said.