The curfew that was imposed in Miami Beach during Spring Break has ended following an uproar from the city’s business community.
City officials declared a state of emergency last Monday and announced the midnight to 6:00 a.m. curfew following violent incidents at spring break that saw five people wounded in two separate shootings.
The curfew was extended over the weekend but ended on Monday.
The city had also ended liquor store sales after 6:00 p.m. which affected spring breakers as well as local businesses in the area.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber defended the city’s actions while appearing this week in South Florida.
“We didn’t really have a choice because I don’t think you can balance revenue against public safety. We were trying very hard to manage spring break, which I think everybody knows the difficult management challenge. We have over 370 police officers out that day, but still, we have two consecutive nights of shootings and we’re very lucky that more people weren’t hurt,” he said.
Gelber said up to the day of the first shooting, on March 20, police seized over 100 guns. Another 23 firearms were seized during the curfew period.
Thousands of college students and other young people gather annually in Miami Beach for spring break, and this is the second year in a row that officials for the South Florida city have had to declare a state of emergency in the famed partying spot.
Mayor Gelber said he wants to change the culture of the city, to have Miami Beach seen as more than just a party town.
“We need to get rid of our entertainment-only district. We are not the Miami Beach of 20 or 30 years ago when we needed to only have all-night parties in order to attract people here,” he said.
Mayor Gelber said although he understands that spring break is a rite of passage for many young people, he doesn’t want spring break or major parties in the city’s residential communities.
