Spring Break partyers in Florida drawing attention from police

Rowdy break crowds have forced curfews and led some establishments to close their doors from Miami Beach to Florida’s Panhandle.

Law enforcement officials in Bay County, Florida, said Sunday that they won’t tolerate the bad behavior from spring breakers after a 21-year-old from Alabama was shot in the foot Sunday during an incident in Panama City Beach. ”The crowd that has been here this weekend, there are no words that can describe the way they have behaved themselves, conducted themselves and the amount of laws they have broken,” Panama City Beach police Chief J.R. Talamantez said during a news conference on Sunday afternoon. “We are doing the best to manage this situation.”

Some 50 to 60 guns have been confiscated from spring breakers, according to Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford.

In South Florida, raucous crowds, public drinking and growing violence associated with the city’s world-famous South Beach neighborhood led officials to impose a midnight curfew over the weekend. The action followed shootings that injured five people on South Beach last week. The 10-block stretch of Ocean Drive known for art deco hotels, restaurants and bars lies between areas that cater to more affluent tourists, as well as locals.

When asked about a possible curfew in Panama City Beach, Talamantez said “nothing is off the table.” He said officials are evaluating the situation.

“I know the citizens are frustrated. Trust me, we are frustrated too,” the chief said. “The harsh reality is we cannot control who comes to town.”