One beach town in Florida has had its share of spring breakers and the mayhem that ensues from some unruly guests.
Last weekend, 161 individuals were booked into the Bay County Jail by all law enforcement agencies. Of the 161 individuals booked into the Jail Facility, 78 were from Alabama.
Over the weekend, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded to 859 calls for service, 548 of those calls were from the beach zones in Panama City.
The BCSO arrested 77 adults and 5 juveniles, a total of 82 arrests. A majority of these arrests were for illegal firearms charges. 75 firearms were seized by law enforcement.
Sheriff Tommy Ford credits the successful handling of the “PCB Takeover” crowds using technology and intelligence to target trouble spots and spontaneous crowds.
The establishment of the Bay Real Time Operations Center (BayROC), a joint venture between all law enforcement agencies in Bay County, was, as Sheriff Ford says, “a game changer.” For example, based on specific intelligence, law enforcement raided a house party with some of the main promoters in attendance.
At this party, individuals with firearms were arrested and the attendees evicted by the homeowner. BayROC also communicated with law enforcement agencies in the hometowns of some “PCB Takeover” attendees and were able to specifically target and disrupt activities.
“We will not tolerate this criminal activity. These are behaviors that we as a community have fought before, won, and moved on to become a premier family destination,” Sheriff Ford stated. “To anyone coming to Panama City Beach to commit criminal acts with an intent to “Takeover” our beach, we will continue the good fight, and dedicate whatever resources necessary to keep Bay County safe. We are united with the support of our elected officials and our community for the resources we need. I assure you; it will not be a “REAL FUN BEACH” inside the Bay County Jail. If you come here to act like a criminal, we will treat you like one.”
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ARE THE FIREARMS ILLEGAL????
OR THE PERSONS THAT OWNED THEM????