Fort Lauderdale's mayor welcomed spring break with open arms ahead of the annual March Madness, which drew party-seekers to the city's beaches in droves.
Drone footage first published by the US Sun shows a large co-ed crowd stretched out on the beach, a fun beach boxing match with gloves on, a referee and an excited crowd cheering them on. Ta.
City police and the mayor's chief of staff told Fox News Digital that the first week was “successful” with crime limited, in preparation for a tougher challenge this weekend, which coincides with St. Patrick's Day.
“Spring break crowds have been in line with expectations so far this year, with this week being the busiest week we're anticipating,” Fort Lauderdale Police Department spokesperson Casey Leaning told Fox News Digital. “It will be,” he said. “There were no major issues or disruptions.”
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As crowds flocked to the beach, spring break party seekers received a welcome message from Fort Lauderdale. (US Sun/Mega)
Fort Lauderdale sent Fox News Digital the following information for all arrests made near the beach from March 4-9 and if the suspect was a spring break participant.
- March 4: One summons for disorderly conduct (spring breaker).
- March 5: One person arrested for disorderly conduct (Spring Breaker).
- March 6th: No accidents.
- March 7: Four people (local residents) arrested for drug-related crimes.
- March 8: Two people arrested for cell phone theft (from Miami).
- March 9: One person arrested for cell phone theft (not during spring break).
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A video of a violent brawl allegedly involving dozens of women on a Fort Lauderdale beach went viral on social media, particularly X, and was picked up by multiple news outlets.
It is unclear where the video originated or when and where the actual altercation took place.
Police and city officials told Fox News Digital in separate interviews that the reports were inaccurate. Both men pointed to a pier in the background of the video and said there was no pier at the city's beaches.
A Fort Lauderdale Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “The general consensus is that police have dispersed and will continue to disperse crowds that they observe.”
Florida spring break party sparks mayhem in Miami
Meanwhile, Miami Beach's intentionally strict guidelines appeared to be effective during the first week of “March Madness,” with local media reporting a quiet opening weekend.
Two people were shot and killed in Miami Beach last year following unrest, police arrested 500 people (including 230 felony arrests) and seized 105 guns.
As crowds flocked to the beach, spring break party seekers received a welcome message from Fort Lauderdale. (US Sun/Mega)
Spring breakers arm wrestle on the sand. (US Sun/Mega)
Reporting from the beach in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend, the US Sun reported that partygoers were seen drinking from beer bongs, chugging mixed drinks from mugs and locking themselves into a game of beer pong.
Other beachgoers danced, threw Frisbees and soccer balls, kicked soccer balls and even donned boxing gloves for a match.
Family beach towns brace for crowds as Miami Beach collapses during Florida spring break
Beach boxing with “referees” and cheering fans was part of the first week of spring break activities. (US Sun/Mega)
In March 2024, a crowd was enjoying spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (US Sun/Mega)
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said there will be designated areas where alcohol is allowed and safety precautions such as covered testing, ride-share options and accessible Narcan before the spring break season begins. said.
“We want to make your spring break the best experience ever,” Trantalis said at a March 4 press conference.
“Why? Because we want you to come back. We want you to come back next year. We want you to come back in the future. And maybe you want to make Fort Lauderdale your home. You must be thinking.”
Watch drone footage of a boxing match
Meanwhile, spring break in Miami Beach, a quintessential hotspot, looked more like a busy vacation weekend than the annual college party mecca.
The city's goal for weeks was to “eliminate” spring break, but the New York Post reported that it was a “failure.”
The headline was promoted in a post on X by former Mayor Philip Levine, who posted the headline with a clapping emoji.
The first week of spring break seemed to go according to plan in Florida's two major cities, but the first and last weeks have been historically calm compared to the midweek weekend in March.
Spring break began with a “successful” first week in Fort Lauderdale after Miami Beach “parted ways” with its annual March frenzy. (US Sun/Mega)
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week that he would send more than 140 state troopers and various other state resources to South Florida as part of an “unprecedented” pre-emptive strike against spring break crimes.
The plan would send 60 state troopers to strengthen communities across South Florida, with a concentration in Miami Beach, the governor said.
In addition, 60 additional state troopers will be mobilized to additional hot spots such as Daytona Beach and Panama City Beach, and 24 rapid response troopers will be deployed to Bay, Volusia, Broward and Miami-Dade counties for emergencies. Officials will be deployed.
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“This is truly unprecedented,” DeSantis said at a March 5 press conference. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a state so proactive going into a season like this.”
Officials in both cities are preparing for what could happen this weekend, including St. Patrick's Day on Sunday.
“All things considered, I think we're on track and ready to go, as we've always been at Florida State,” DeSantis said.
