'Going to be Facebook famous': Franklin County Sheriff warns of spring break crackdown

Franklin County Sheriff A.J. "Tony" Smith has a clear message for everyone visiting the quaint beaches of St. George Island or Alligator Point: "If you violate a law at the beach, you're going to be Facebook famous."

Looking to get ahead of the spring break crowds and joining a Gov. Ron DeSantis led effort to crackdown on raucous celebrations statewide, FCSO is preemptively warning visitors that they will not tolerate illegal parking, speeding, littering, public urination, underage drinking and distracted and drunk driving.

Smith, who is known for his social media presence, said that people who violate their ordinances, including things as obscure as digging and leaving deep holes on the beach, could face arrests and a potential appearance on the FCSO Facebook page.

Smith frequently posts on the FCSO's social media, often offering raw footage of arrests. On Tuesday, FCSO posted a picture of a person's speeding ticket with a mindful message: "Deputies, including the sheriff will be issuing tickets and jail if necessary. Treat our home like it’s yours."

Two weeks prior, the sheriff's office posted a reminder that underage drinking and driving won't be tolerated and can "get you arrested and FACEBOOK famous!!"

Smith also uses FCSO's Facebook page to alert the community about recent arrests for things like possession of drugs, and is even known for arriving on scene and filming suspects to share with the public. He even hammers a sign onto the homes where drug busts occur: "This drug house has been closed for business."

But spring break offers different challenges. Every year, as the weather gets warmer, visitors start flocking to Franklin County's beaches, which leads to the main problem: scarce parking and illegal solutions.

Last year, between March and August, deputies issued 36 parking tickets. They also handed out 20 traffic complaints, which includes speeding tickets, and one indecent exposure citation.

"We're always looking to find ways to deter people from breaking the law without having to write them a citation or take them to jail because that's the last thing we want to do," Smith said. "But we got to maintain some level of law and order down there."

To help address the ongoing parking problems, they're putting up more "No Parking" signs to make it extra clear where visitors can and can't park. The sheriff's office also created "big, ugly decals" to slap on people's windshields right in front of the driver's seat so that they can't leave until they call the deputy's number on the sticker to receive a ticket and have it removed.

"Day trippers" will end up parking in the road, blocking access to numerous streets, or they park in residents' driveways and on private property, Smith said.

"People call us, and they are mad," he said. "Rightfully so."

Each location has their own "different flavor" of issues, he said. St. George Island usually struggles with poor parking and trash scattered everywhere. But there are more public parking options on the island than at Alligator Point, so the number of parking violations isn't as high as they are at Alligator Point.

While Alligator Point struggles with parking, Smith said they also frequently get calls from upset residents about beachgoers who use the bathroom in their yards. The public parking options at Alligator Point do not have bathrooms, unlike the main parking lot on St. George Island.

Another issue that is more common at Alligator Point is people will dig very deep holes and leave them, which is a misdemeanor under a county ordinance as it can interrupt sea turtle nesting.

Over the next few weeks, Smith said he will be finalizing FCSO's plans for how they will be increasing patrols in the two popular beach spots. And while deputies are out, their job is to issue as many tickets as possible.

Parking tickets will range from $106 to $119, towing fees will be $150 and speed limits will also be heavily enforced. "Five or six miles over, we'll ticket," Smith said.

Franklin County will have a zero tolerance for driving under the influence and under-age drinking, he said.

"Don't leave your common sense at home," he said.

Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Spring break: Franklin sheriff cracks down with threat of Facebook fame