'Not up for debate': Panama City Beach police warn spring breakers of zero tolerance

Nathan Cobb, Panama City News Herald
·2 min read
16

PANAMA CITY BEACH − Local law enforcement officials are warning the last wave of spring breakers still in the area to be on their best behavior.

In response to large crowds of unruly high-school-aged spring breakers recently gathering near Pineapple Willy's Restaurant and Pier Park, officials with the Panama City Beach Police Department made multiple posts on the department's Facebook page this week about the strict consequences for criminal behavior.

"To the parents of teenagers visiting Panama City Beach for spring break ... (we) need to make something perfectly clear," a post from Tuesday reads. "It is imperative that you contact your children immediately and inform them that unless they start treating our community with the respect they would their own homes, we will be compelled to find them a temporary home in our detention facility."

The Beach Police warned such parents that if they rented a condo for their children, leaving them unsupervised during their stay, they can be held responsible for any property damages.

Officials with the Panama City Beach Police Department made multiple posts on the department's Facebook page this week to warn unruly spring breakers.
Officials with the Panama City Beach Police Department made multiple posts on the department's Facebook page this week to warn unruly spring breakers.

"Should you harbor any doubts about your teenager's capacity to make responsible decisions while in our city, it may be time to retrieve them," the post reads. "If your teenager arrived with the misconception that this is an opportunity for unrestrained behavior and that leniency will be extended, they are mistaken, and allowing them to come unsupervised was a misjudgment."

As of about noon Wednesday, the single post had more than 3,000 reactions, approximately 1,200 comments and more than 6,000 shares.

Beach Police officials also highlighted the trouble such spring breakers are causing in Walton County, Bay County's western neighbor. A recent post on the Walton County Sheriff's Office Facebook page noted the county suspended "until further notice" a portion of beach access from County 283 South to the Bay County line.

It also said Walton's law enforcement officials, who anticipate an influx of teenagers April 1-5, plan "to aggressively target large crowds of unaccompanied minors and prevent them from gathering in large groups on the sand in Santa Rosa Beach."

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In another Beach Police Facebook post of Tuesday, officials reminded residents and visitors that the temporary beach closure in PCB from beach access 25 to beach access 36 remains in effect until the end of April. The anticipated crowds this week also led them to close Pier Park Drive until Monday.

"We are committed to ensuring the safety and order of our community, especially during this busy spring break period," the post reads. "Roadway takeovers, public disorder or any disruption will not be tolerated. ... To all teenagers eyeing Panama City Beach − your cooperation is not up for debate.

"Any disregard for our rules will be met with firm action. This is more than just compliance. It's about respect for our community."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Beach Police warn spring breakers of zero tolerance approach