, Fla. — Volusia County deputies and Daytona Beach police are turning out in full force in response to the massive gathering that caused a ruckus on March 16th.
Tourists and residents said the unauthorized massive gathering of Spring Breakers running on the beach terrified them. “I thought I heard gunshots,” said Katy Fitzpatrick. “Police were all over the place.” Her husband agreed. “I was in shock because we really didn’t expect it,” said Matthew Garant. “We were coming here for a vacation spot.”
Volusia County deputies and Daytona Beach PD increased patrols along the beach and the boardwalk to make sure this doesn’t happen again. “Our guys are professionals,” said Mike Scudiero, executive director of the Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association. “They do their jobs, and they’ll be ready to go out there tonight and tomorrow night and do whatever needs to be done.”
While authorities remain unclear as to what caused the rowdy disturbance, it was enough for the City of Daytona Beach to declare a State of Emergency. An 8 pm to 6 am curfew for teens was put in place along with a Special Event Zone on the beach, promising huge fines to anyone who throws a massive party without proper permits.
The curfew for anyone under 18 starts on March 20 and lasts for seven days.
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