PANAMA CITY − Local law officials are not playing around when it comes to the 2026 spring break season.
In a meeting on Feb 3, Bay County commissioners designated March 28 to April 11 as a high impact period for the county. They also established a high impact zone, which will have a curfew for unaccompanied minors from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The decision comes in the wake of a similar ordinance approved by the Panama City Beach City Council on Jan. 23.
“Spring break 2025 was marked with hectic and violent disturbances, largely caused by underaged visitors who arrived unsupervised from neighboring states with the intent to engage in underage drinking and disorderly conduct,” Maj. David Baldwin of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said.
Baldwin added that within BCSO’s beach zones Mach 1 to April 14 last year, deputies responded to more than 4,700 calls for service, arrested 213 people and wrote 647 citations.
According to information from the Jan. 23 PCB meeting, Beach Police officers during that same time responded to more than 8,100 calls for service, arrested 770 people and wrote about 1,500 citations.
PCB’s high impact zones are located near Pier Park, south of Middle Beach Road from about Alf Coleman Road to Clara Avenue, and south of Middle Beach Road from about Richard Jackson Boulevard to the east end of the city’s limits.
Bay County’s high impact zone is east of PCB’s city limits along Thomas Drive to Raven Street, encompassing Grand Lagoon to the sandy beach area. It also proceeds east along Front Beach Road to Navy Boulevard.
“These are areas that we always see large gatherings,” Baldwin said. “It has the largest amount of rental properties that we see large pop-up parties come to. This will help us curb some of that and keep it in check.”
Past reports note that from March 1 to April 24 of 2025, two people were killed in a shooting at Sunnyside Apartments, three people were shot in a gang-related shooting, a teen accidentally shot himself at Origins at Seahaven Condominium; and gunshots were reported near a Lighthouse Road residence, Hammerhead Fred’s, Checkers on the Beach and inside Laketown Wharf’s parking garage.
BCSO officials have said the department is tracking multiple “takeover” events for the PCB area this spring break season.
“Forward looking intelligence on social media found multiple posts getting traction for takeover Panama City Beach (events),” Baldwin said. “We’re countering this by finding promoters, finding who’s posting these and letting them know about the consequences for their actions.”
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County establishes high impact zone, curfew for spring break
Reporting by Nathan Cobb, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
