Spring break alcohol citations up
5/7/2008
By ROBBYN BROOKS, Florida Freedom Newspapers
The number of underage drinkers cited for possession of alcohol during spring break was up this year, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office says that a more proactive stance earlier in the day kept alcohol-related problems from escalating at night.
The Sheriff’s Office issued 267 citations this year, compared to 141 last spring break.
“We hit the beaches early,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Ted Pecot, who added that although alcohol citations were up, there were no sexual batteries reported this season.
Other crimes were also down. Deputies made five arrests for battery, 10 for possession of marijuana and 19 for retail theft. There were a few more charges filed for trespassing, having a fake ID and grand theft.
“Although alcohol isn’t the only factor in crime, it intensifies the problem of making wrong choices,” Pecot said.
Deputies even handed out citations to some underage drinkers more than once.
The Sheriff’s Office reports more than half the number of offenders cited for underage alcohol possession were high school students. Louisiana topped the states with the most offenders, with 29 college students and 54 high school students. Next came Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Two local college students and seven local high school students were cited.
Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Maryland and New Jersey were also home to several underage drinkers.
“The goal this year was prevention,” Pecot said. “We don’t want the batteries. We don’t want the sexual assault.”
The Sheriff’s Office began planning for spring break in January and then met with condominium managers in February. Pecot said property owners and managers were a big help in discouraging large crowds of students on the beach at night such as in the past. Properties began implementing beach closures — much like pool closures — where no one was allowed on the beach after a certain time.
“We want to maintain a family atmosphere and stay away from that free-for-all that happens other places,” Pecot said.
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