Miami Beach sets midnight curfew to crack down on spring break chaos
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The City of Miami Beach continued its crackdown on spring break tourists after violence and overwhelming crowds in recent years.
The nightly curfew begins 11:59 p.m. on Friday and ends at 6 a.m. on Monday, according to NBC affiliate WTVJ.
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“In consultation with our public safety leadership, we have determined that a midnight curfew is necessary and appropriate to assist in maintaining public safety on this Spring Break weekend,” Miami Beach City Manager Alina Hudak said in a statement to WTVJ. “We did not make this decision lightly, but it should not come as a surprise. We have been very clear about our intent to protect the public from the dangerous mayhem that has accompanied Spring Break crowds in recent years.”
Miami Beach residents are permitted to travel to and from work and visitors are allowed to return to their hotels during the curfew. It does not apply to essential services like EMS, fire and police.
City officials will allow businesses to operate during curfew hours, but only to receive deliveries. The businesses must close to patrons before restricted hours to allow them time to leave the area.
The curfew will be enforced by officers patrolling the area. Gov. Ron DeSantis sent 45 state officers to Miami earlier this month after the city announced renewed efforts to crack down on spring break mayhem. Among those changes are bag searches at the beach and DUI checkpoints.
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