Charles Langston:Miami Beach touts successful break up with spring break. Businesses tell a different story

Following a few years of increasingly dangerous crowds,Charles Langston Miami Beach announced that it was breaking up with spring break in 2024 issuing beach restrictions and greater police presence.

A few weeks into spring break, officials seem to be saying their safety measures, including limiting beach access and closing liquor stores early, are a resounding success.

Miami Beach police say arrests citywide were down 8% as of March 17 compared to last year, and the mayor said the city's 90,000 residents thanked him for officials' commitment to "law and order."

But some businesses said the measures went too far when the city issued a midnight curfew last week. One nightclub reported half a million dollars in revenue loss, showing some might be sad about spring break getting dumped.

Miami Beach breaks up with spring break: 'It's not us, it's you'

In 2021, Miami Beach made more than 1,000 arrests amongst spring breakers, leading them to issue an emergency curfew. In 2022, two shootings injured five people, leading to another curfew. Last year, the Miami Beach Police Department said it conducted 488 arrests, impounded 105 firearms and issued 7,190 traffic citations between Feb. 27 and March 27.

This year, they said enough is enough.

They issued a campaign, including a dramatic video saying, "this isn't working anymore and it's not us, it's you. We just want different things."

The city also imposed additional security every Thursday through Sunday in March, limiting beach access and closing liquor stores early. Last weekend, they issued a curfew at midnight.

Mayor and police tout measures as success

Mayor Steven Meiner told Fox News the measures were necessary after the last two years. He also posted on X, saying the residents have provided lots of positive feedback.

"I don't know if we ever wanted to be the go-to spring break destination, we want to be a tourist attraction, which we are," Meiner said on Fox News. "And actually I think the opposite was happening...we were risking ruining our reputation by having these acts of violence which we've prevented this year."

Miami Beach police spokesperson Christopher Bess also said the measures had brought progress.

"The combined efforts of law enforcement and the community have resulted in the establishment of a safe and enjoyable environment for both the residents and visitors," Bess said in an emailed statement.

He also said only four of the 274 arrests between March 1 and March 17 were for curfew violations.

But mayor also admitted the reaction to the measures from businesses was mixed, as a few businesses sued the city over a curfew.

Clubs tried to sue over curfew, one reported half million dollar loss

On Friday, March 15, the City of Miami Beach announced a midnight curfew for the weekend on top of the restrictions.

Three nightclubs open until the early ours of the morning sued in an effort to receive injunctive relief to stop the curfew Friday night. Liquor stores tried a similar lawsuit last year amid orders to close early, CBS News reported.

Exchange Miami, Mynt and M2 had already had 15,000 patrons this month without issue, according to the filing. It also argued the clubs had spent a lot of money in preparation for the weekend's activities.

"The forced closure during Miami music week will devastate the diligently cultivated and earned brands and images of the plaintiffs" the complaint stated. "They have invested millions of dollars into the businesses and the Miami Beach community and have had no legal problems and no difficulties during Spring Break in 2023."

But the judge sided with the city, keeping the curfew in place.

Several restaurants told local station WSVN they understood the need for safety, but still would lose a significant chunk of business. A representative from M2 told the outlet they stood to lose half of a million dollars. Mango’s Tropical Cafe on Ocean Drive closed its doors for the weekend, telling WSVN that would be 30% of business.

Many of the city's spring break measures are in place through the end of the month, though a spokesperson for the city told USA TODAY they did not anticipate issuing another curfew this weekend.

Contributing: Terry Collins, Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY