FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Spring break is peaking along Fort Lauderdale Beach.
It’s a mix of partygoers, police officers and barricades — all in one festive place.
With Miami Beach taking big measures this year to deter the big crowds and crack down on the chaos, some are concerned about that chaos moving north last weekend.
There were a few fights and some drama brewing in Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said he’s not worried about the spillover and that the city is still embracing all of spring break.
“You’ll see some people come up here,” he said. “It’s not the kind of place you’re going to see a lot of twerking on the hoods of cars and stuff like that.”
Trantalis said Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale have employed different messaging strategies over the years, leading each city to draw different crowds.
“Miami has a very different experience,” he said. “Sometimes I worry that spreading that ‘bad boy’ image didn’t get out of hand. Miami Beach has always been an exciting place for many people, but over the years it’s been a little too edgy for the Fort Lauderdale crowd.”
Back in the ‘80s, Fort Lauderdale cracked down on that messaging, pumping the brakes on spring break free-for-alls and pushing a family-friendly image, but still drawing a college crowd.
With the influx of partyers, police have stepped up patrols on the sand, on the street and even on horseback, just in case.