Miami Beach says it’s breaking up with spring break, but is it really? – Annenberg Media

Miami Beach has long been a classic spring break destination, but the city has had enough of the chaos.

The City of Miami Beach posted a YouTube video called “Miami Beach Is Breaking Up With Spring Break” letting tourists know that they don’t plan to tolerate chaos this March. And this time, it’s serious.

According to the video, those headed to South Beach can expect curfews, bag checks, restricted beach access, DUI checkpoints, one hundred dollar parking, and strong police enforcement for drug possession and violence.

Gov. DeSantis has also said he will deploy 140 state troopers across Florida. 45 of them will be in Miami beach.

Danny Saravia-Varela is a Miami resident studying film production at the University of Southern California, and said spring break has been taking a toll on the locals.

Saravia-Varela: I know that during spring break, I’m not going to Miami Beach. You know what I mean? Like Miami Beach is a very, it’s known to be a pretty dangerous place during spring break.

Last year, two fatal shootings occurred at South Beach, and the year before, there was a nonfatal shooting in a crowd of spring breakers. Curfews were set in place after that, but Saravia-Varela didn’t think they helped much. In fact, they often times end up making life harder for the locals.

Saravia-Varela: The city is never very good at handling these kinds of situations. They’re raising parking prices and parking is already unbearable, like as a local, you can’t go anywhere in Miami and enjoy it, you know what I mean? And it’s like they’re doing all these things that in order to deter like these tourists that are not respecting the place, but it’s also worsening the experience of living in Miami for locals that are home.

Saravia-Varela said that though too many tourists come in thinking Miami is lawless, a lot of the blame falls on the city itself.

Saravia-Varela: During spring break, it’s just like the most exaggerated version of the problem that happens year round that tourism is getting in the way of locals live.

Saravia-Varela was hopeful that measures such as DUI checkpoints might help to curb crime. But, he said those who can afford the penalties will pay them.

Saravia-Varela: Spring break always happens, you know, because the industry is there for and it’s always gonna, it’s always gonna want tourists even though the city says that they don’t.

For those of you planning to go to Miami for your break, be safe and respectful.