Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday announced a law enforcement plan for this year's spring break that will include tripling the amount of officers on patrol and beach sweeps with police on horseback.
But city and public safety officials touted an open arms approach — a stark contrast to Miami Beach officials, who continue their efforts to tame spring break crowds by telling them to stay away.
“ This year we will welcome our spring breakers,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “We had a very successful year last year.”
Law enforcement officers will be patrolling the barrier islands as well as the downtown entertainment district, which gets increased foot traffic at night. Each day, crews will conduct a beach cleanup at 5:30 p.m.
Prohibited beach items include alcohol, coolers, tents and tables, amplified music,and electric scooters and bikes.
Visit Lauderdale, the tourism marketing agency for Broward County, recorded 2.67 million visitors last March, an uptick from the 2.62 million in 2023.
“ I'm in my 24th year of service, and last year was definitely one of those years that I have not seen that many individuals with so few concerns or problems,” said Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bill Schultz.
When Fort Lauderdale cracked down on rowdy spring breakers in the 1990s, those crowds migrated to other parts of the state like Panama City and Daytona Beach, which experienced their own issues as a result.
But despite Miami Beach's ongoing efforts to crack down, Visit Lauderdale told WLRN it expects 20,000 less visitors this spring.
Bar watch and Narcan program
The city also highlighted its use of Circuit Services, a free rideshare service using electric vehicles that runs through the downtown area.
Officials announced they will again be instituting the "Bar Watch" program and an associated Narcan handout program launched last year.
“ [Bar Watch is] a network of people including bar staff and our officers who know how to identify and quickly address any potentially troublesome situations that individuals may get into,” Schultz said.
Narcan is a nasal spray version of naloxone, a medicine used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. Fort Lauderdale Fire Chief Stephen Gollan said the agency will assess whether the Narcan program will need to expand or decrease availability.
Spring break restrictions went into effect Sunday and will last through April 12.
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