ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorney General James Uthmeier joined Fox & Friends this morning to discuss the upcoming influx of tourists for Spring Break, as well as the so-called ‘teen takeovers’ that have been causing trouble on Florida’s beaches.
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According to QuartzMountain.org, “Florida welcomes anywhere from 2 to 3 million spring breakers during peak season, making it one of the most sought-after destinations for this annual tradition.”
Recent numbers suggest that 2026 will be the “busiest spring break in Central Florida’s history,” with approximately 7.4 million passengers arriving at Orlando International Airport between March 10th and 16th.
READ: Spring break travel chaos: Long waits at Orlando International Airport
Daytona Beach International Airport expected nearly 715,000 passengers, the most the airport has ever seen since 1997.
These numbers, however, don’t intimidate Uthmeier.
“We’re used to it here,” he said during his appearance on Fox & Friends. “We get a lot of visitors in Florida. We get a lot of young people that are out on the beach, out on the town, looking to hang out and have a good time. But like always, we’ve got hundreds of law enforcement officers, some in uniform, some undercover, maintaining the peace and ensuring that nobody gets hurt.”
When asked if there are any challenges for Florida law enforcement as it pertains to keeping Spring Break crowds under control, Uthmeier said it all comes down to the “masses of young people.”
READ: Spring break in full swing at Daytona Beach
“People will bring paraphernalia, they’ll bring weapons on occasion, and that’s where law enforcement has to be close by,” he said. “We have a lot of checkpoints. We check for DUIs. We make sure that people are not out drinking and driving and putting families in harm’s way.”
As Daytona Beach deals with the ever-increasing number of Spring Break visitors, it seems there is another problem plaguing local law enforcement.
They’re called “teen takeovers,” and they’re defined as an “illegal gathering of people in a public area for the purpose of posting about it on social media.” The events are often promoted on social media and can lead to violence.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood appeared on Fox & Friends earlier this month to discuss these so-called takeovers that are happening throughout Daytona Beach.
Chitwood described the devastating economic impact that these takeovers can cause, holding the town in what the sheriff called an “economic hostage” situation.
READ: Volusia County deputies arrest hundreds during Spring Break weekend
“They take over the beach. They take over A1A. They bring no economic value to this place, and they bring chaos,” Chitwood said. “They hold us [in] economic hostage, because businesses, restaurants, and hoteliers, they’re losing business. They have to close, or there’s cancellations.”
Chitwood spoke at a recent press conference, warning promoters of these teen takeovers that Volusia law enforcement would put up with it no longer.
“If that event comes in and you continue to advertise it on social media, we are coming after you,” Chitwood said. “We’re going to sue you civilly, and we’re coming after every asset that you have.”
On Fox & Friends, Uthmeier voiced his support for Chitwood’s efforts.
“Sheriff Chitwood’s not messing around,” the Attorney General said. “We stand by him. We certainly will hold accountable businesses and parties that want to incite violence, that want to aid and abet the mayhem, that are not following proper local protocols and permits. We want people to enjoy Spring Break, but we also don’t want families to stay home and avoid dinner or avoid going out shopping because they’re afraid of what danger might ensue.”
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