MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled plans for increased security in Miami Beach for Spring Break 2025 on Thursday, following a record-breaking 140 million visitors to the state in 2024.
He said during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many flocked to the state seeking an escape, but the influx of tourists, particularly during Spring Break, created chaos.
“We can’t have madness and chaos when people come down here. When you talk to people, they say 2024 was our most productive Spring Break ever,” DeSantis said.
The initiative mirrors efforts from the previous year, when state agencies like the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Florida Highway Patrol were deployed to enhance enforcement in Miami Beach and other Spring Break hotspots.
To manage the crowds, DeSantis said 140 state troopers were deployed across Florida, with 50 stationed in the Miami Beach area in 2024. During the Spring Break weekend, he said Miami Beach saw 16 arrests and 17 misdemeanors.
DeSantis directed state law enforcement agencies to provide extra support to 12 cities, including drone and aviation assets and K-9 units, to ensure Spring Break 2025 remains orderly.
“We’ll continue to provide that assistance into April,” DeSantis said, emphasizing efforts to prevent chaos and mayhem in 2024.
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner praised Florida’s law enforcement efforts, calling Florida a “law and order state.”
“Our residents and businesses bought in. We kept people safe and had calm instead of chaos. It’s not just the month of March; law and order is 365 days in the state of Florida,” Meiner said.
Meiner said his city plans to “follow the same playbook” in 2025, with an increased law enforcement presence during the busy holiday weekend.
“We had no fatalities, no shootings, no stampedes,” Meiner said. “Hotel occupancy last year in 2024 was up from 2023.”
Meiner highlighted the economic impact, noting that Miami Beach’s hotel room rates in March 2024 were the highest in the nation.
“That is success on every level,” he said. “We kept people safe and our businesses boomed.”
The city is already setting the tone for this Spring Break with its “Reality Check” campaign.
Similarly, Fort Lauderdale is promoting a campaign inspired by the popular TV show “Love is Blind.”
DeSantis was joined by Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass and Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner.
Local 10 News viewers can watch the full press conference in the video below.
