A criminal record that will follow you beyond Spring Break. In the five-day sting from May 18 to22, police said 13 people were charged withtraveling to meet a child for sexual activity,six were charged with possessing and/or disturbing child pornography,one was charged with felony drug and weapons charges, and one was arrested on a sexual battery charge out of Alabama. "I would (come back here for vacation), but probably not like down to this area," Miller said. Legal Statement. However, things may take a turn for those who dont follow PCBs spring break ordinances. "I saw the old Spring Break, and I've seen the new Spring Break, (which was better until Saturday night).". In a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Chief J.R. Talamantez of the Panama City Beach Police Department, Chief Mark Smith of the Panama City Police Department . Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Climbing, jumping from, or throwing things from balconies is not allowed. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. ( WMBB) Massive crowds forced road closures and led many local businesses to close early on Panama City Beach over the weekend. Arrest and at least one night in the County Jail. We "were driving down the road and there were these people getting pulled over and they were unloading an AR and everything," Hawkins said. Officials say Spring Break in Panama City Beach is the best it's ever been WMBB News 13 16K views 5 months ago Alabama man shot in Panama City Beach WVTM 13 News 143K views 4. Editor's note: The location of Sunday's shooting has been updated to more accurately pinpoint where it occurred. On Sunday afternoon, a 21-year-old from Alabama was shot in the foot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Local law enforcement officials announced Monday that they confiscated 75 illegal guns and arrested more than 160people throughout the weekend. Operation Rogue Wave resulted in the arrest of 21men on various charges, with three other suspects still being sought on charges of transmitting harmful material to a child and solicitation of a child for sexual activity. MORE NEWS . "These are not college spring breakers," Ford said. 26, 2022 at 8:51 PM PDT PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Panama City Beach Police. You must be 21 years of age to possess or drink alcohol. Panama City Beach is vacation destination, especially among people in the Southern United States.. In the adjoiningrestaurant, she said workers were having an even harder time. If they are still wanting to continue their party atmosphere, they come over to the Panama City side to the adult establishments which are open for the extra two hours, Chief Smith said. "Honestly, I was blown away. 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Local officials said the city was targeted by a group of lawbreakers. The PCB Police Departments non-emergency number is (850) 233-5000. Planning Board Meeting- Cancelled. The event, which leaders say was dubbed by organizersas"Panamaniac," resulted in more than 160 arrests, the confiscation of 75 illegal guns, one shooting with non-life-threatening injuries and numerous closures of roads and businesses. We appreciate everyones cooperation and understanding.. Although Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said he could notgo into detail on exactly how he and other law enforcementofficialsknew about the event, he said they learned about it through social media. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This zero-tolerance policy includes a ban on underage drinking, traffic disruption, loud music, and pop-up parties in businesses or empty lots. In Panama City Beach, there are several spring break laws in place that started on March 1 and end on March 31. City officials said in a statement on Saturday that they had "expected a large crowd" during the weekend and had formulated a plan, according to several local reports. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "That's the part that's disheartening," Sheldon said of tourists who now might not want to come back. Ive seen the police break them up a few times, Bruyn said. At a press conference on Monday, law. Seller, buyer, property location, total purchase price, date. ", 'What justice looks like in Bay County':160 arrests, 75 guns seized during PCB spring break, Chaos inPCB:One injured in Front Beach Roadshooting, over 50 guns seized. Between Saturday and Sunday, 75 illegal guns were confiscated and more than 160 people were arrested in Bay County about half of whom were from Alabama. The News Herald. "This act that he wants to bring to town has actually been investigated for a racketeering case involving homicide and money laundering, drug trafficking, a bunch of other things.". Longtime Panama City Beach residents and vacationers are speaking out against the violence that plagued their beloved beach town during the weekend. New ordinance aligns city, county, PCB in emergency situations in wake of spring break chaos, 161 people arrested in Panamaniac spring break weekend: Heres a breakdown of the charges, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Alcohol sales will also stop at 2 a.m. during the entire month of March. Beach police have been patrolling the area and say the. ', "It absolutely isn't, and it breaks my heart that they had to deal with these criminals this weekend. Law enforcement officials in Bay County . Glasgow pleads guilty to federal tax evasion, mail fraud, and drug charges, Global race is on to improve EV range in the cold, Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The business then tried have normal business hours on Sunday, but with crowds still raging andportions of Front Beach Road closed, access to the restaurant was limited. See recent changes in local employment, regional inflation and more in these regularly updated charts and maps. As well as they are going to work diligently with the police department and the fire department to maintain their numbers within the inside and handle their own internal security.. Music heard more than 25 feet away is illegal. "With Panama City to Gulf Shores banning drinking on the beach in March and being anti-college spring break, South Padre Island is BOOMING," the website, which charges $65 for a "Party . If you see something, say something, if you see something that might indicate that somebody has those types of tendenciesand those interests that involve some type of sexual interest in children, we need to know about it. Dont come here as a criminal and leave here and find yourself in the bay county jail or go home on probation and come back here and answer to the court system, Chief Smith said. "When your customers can't get to you because the roads are blocked off because there's a crime scene, there's not a whole heck of a lot you can do.". LikeTrepanier,Volkov said the weekend wasa reminder on why PCB officials have worked tirelessly during the past decade to rebrand the area into a family-friendly destination, and not a hotspot for lawless and rowdy tourists. The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry. It then remained open on Sunday. 'What justice looks like': 160 people arrested, 75 guns seized during chaotic PCB spring break weekend, 'A glimpse into the bad past': Panama City Beach businesses shut doors amid spring break chaos. We had a plan in place due to a large number of visitors over the weekend. "One of the preparations that we did is we spoke to a business owner and local community about the certain act that he wants to bring to town," Talamantez said. Here's the scoop. Panama City Beach, Florida, has long been deemed a mecca for spring breakers due to its dazzling 27 miles of soft, sugar-sand beaches, bountiful waterfront bars, and premier theme parties. ", Sunday's shooting: Man shot in the foot, over 50 guns seized amid spring break in Panama City Beach, Scenes from the chaos:Shooting in heart of spring break area prompts heavy police response, Flash mobs, riots and 21 illegal guns: BCSO, PCB PD deploy 'every available resource' Saturday. Panama City Beach is anticipating an uptick in visitors during Spring Break next month. ", 'What justice looks like in Bay County': 160 arrests, 75 guns seized during PCB spring break, 'Close down spring break': Residents, vacationing families caught in crossfire of PCB chaos. Use the buddy system and never leave your friends. Panama City Beach. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. Legal Statement. "I never expected this. Police Chief J.R. Talamantez warned visitors that the police will take swift action against individuals who come with ill intentions. Caught in the crossfire of chaos were residents and vacationing families. Law enforcement officials have detained over 160 people in Panama City Beach following a spring break weekend that saw massive crowds of people disrupting the area, officials said. FLORIDA SPRING BREAKERS CARRY ON IN PANAMA CITY, FAR AWAY FROM TROUBLES IN MIAMI BEACH. These are people who are not affiliated with any college and come to the area within driving distances. Marshals Service. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. 02, 2023, 12:48 p.m. | Published: Mar. Mar. All rights reserved. All local law enforcement agencies have partnered together for spring break. At Panama City Beach, no alcohol is allowed on beaches, bars will close at 2 a.m., rather than 4 a.m., and special events will have no more than 125 people. We don't need this.". Mar. This pushed the "unsanctioned, unregulated and unpermitted special event" into Panama City, where it was held at Vibez. We were seeing (them) with rifles in backpacks.". To offer Spring Break events like never before, Southern Comfort will be living it up at Harpoon Harry's in Panama City Beach, . Copyright 2023 WJHG. The police will also actively search for suspects with any outstanding warrants. Beach officials warn visitors of dangers ahead of Spring Break. Double red flags signify a ban on entry into the Gulf. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. "As I was walking through the crime scenes Sunday, all I could think about is 'This is not our beach. "You can rest assured that if you're chatting with an underage person inBay County for the purposes of having sex, you're probably chatting with one of us and if you download child pornography, we're going to know about it. But, like most Panama City Beach. "When we start seeing events named 'takeovers' and 'maniacs' and things like that, (they) cause us concern," Ford said. Law enforcement and city officials are cracking down on those who don't abide by the rules this spring break. Hawkins and Miller said they were nervous learning about all the events that were happening, scared they would get kidnapped with all the people running around at night. At a press conference on Monday, law. No metal shovels are allowed on the sandy beach, and digging holes deeper than two feet is prohibited. Unfortunately, you cant ban people from coming here and you never know the type of people who choose to vacation here," Hooker said. "We weren't just seeing (criminals with) a 38 Special in the pocket. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital). Police may also temporarily close the beaches if things get out of hand. She was taking her 4-year-old son to his baseball game when she was ran into a huge traffic jam caused by people fleeing and police being forced to shut down roads to contain the chaos. Drinking alcohol on the sandy beaches and behind the wheel is also not permitted. During a chaotic Saturday night and Sunday evening, officers with the Beach Police Department, Panama City Police Department, Bay County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol confiscated 75 illegal guns and arrested more than 160people. ", 160 arrests, 75 guns seized during PCB spring break, Residents, vacationing families caught in crossfire of PCB chaos, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. PANAMA CITY BEACH Sariah Hooker has lived in Panama City Beach for 12 years. They face a variety of charges, including inciting a riot, felony criminal mischief, disorderly conductand theft during a riot-related disturbance. 2023 www.newsherald.com. I still can't wrap my head around it," Hooker said. "This is a perfect place away from the spring break crowd!". Hatteras Beach, North Carolina, which has . I feel like we are far better prepared going into this spring break than we have been in the past, Panama City Police Chief Mark Smith said. PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. - Rowdy spring break crowds have forced curfews and led some establishments to close their doors from Miami Beach to Florida 's Panhandle. As spring break season continues, many fear what is to come and if law enforcement is prepared. Low speed vehicles must follow the rules of the road and are not allowed on Hutchison Boulevard or Panama City Beach Parkway. 2023 www.newsherald.com. TheBeach experienced an onslaughtof what are being dubbed "true criminals" onFriday evening,complete with a shooting, crowdsand even a stampede at the Walmart at the intersection of Front Beach and Middle Beach roads. According to the department, they are working with the Bay County Sheriffs Office, Lynn Haven Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, Panama City Police Department along with other surrounding agencies. "That's not just because we're scared of (those words). Copyright 2023 WJHG. or redistributed. "We could have had multiple homicides and we could have ended up in national news with officer-involved shootings," he said. "The sad thing about it was we had people who had prom reservations birthday reservations (and) anniversary reservations that we had to cancel just because of the lunacy that was going on.". They also said that while residents might feel wronged by Marchregulations put in place because of the sins of past spring breakers, officials cannot pass specific rules for only one group of people. Several businesses shut down Saturday after dealing. "We have approximately 100 officers from our agency, the Bay County Sheriffs Office, Lynn Haven Police Department, Panama City Police Department, and Florida Highway Patrol along with other surrounding agencies, to provide service to our residents, visitors, and businesses," the statement reportedly said. "That's what this (was). Read on to discover everything you need to know about Panama City spring break 2023. Chief Smith said they all might be separate agencies, but they can unify as one quickly. Talamantez noted that once his department learned about the "Panamaniac take over event," officers began warning local business owners. That is what the businesses are committed to doing this year. PANAMA CITY BEACH Law enforcement officials saymore than three dozen suspects have been taken off the streets in connection witha spring break riot at a BeachWalmart and a child-sex sting earlier this week. Any holes dug should be properly filled in for the safety of all. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . We are a small blip on a big map and we were still able to arrest 24 people and put them in custody for these offenses.". Answer Man: Is it illegal to take pictures of people without their permission? Be responsible and act within the boundaries of the law. This is not our community.' All rights reserved. 4 min read PANAMA CITY BEACH Local law enforcement officials say while they knew weeks in advance that a potentially dangerous. George Santos Under Scrutiny CBS News App "In general, it's a lot of fun here," Canadian Visitor Tony. Dogs are only allowed at the designated Dog Beach west of the City Pier. Southern Comfort Mar 02, 2023, 08:30 ET . All rights reserved. Riding on the exterior of vehicles, including sitting on the edge of window sills and standing up through the sun roof, is strictly prohibited. Market data provided by Factset. Panama City Beach, FL. A Dothan man has been arrested and charged with one count of rape. Regardless, residents can agree on one thing:They never want to experience this nightmare again. Market data provided by Factset. Among those arrested in 2022 were 15 people involved with a riot at a PCB Walmart officials said was instigated by social media influencers. Panama City Beach prepares for spring break crowd The battle over Spring Break had been building for years as then-Sheriff Frank McKeithen, some local residents and others tried to. "These individuals jumped at the opportunity to try to have sex with a kid; 24 in this small beach town were taken into custody," Talamantez said. Overnight scooter rentals are prohibited.