With the temperature heating up, so is the activity on Crab Island.
In recent weeks, there has been a flare-up on Crab Island that has caused concerns in the community.
Events called “takeovers” have invaded the water playground known as Crab Island, just north of the Marler Bridge in Destin. During a recent takeover event, a fight between two females was videoed and posted on Facebook, but no charges were filed by either party, thus no arrests were made.
On June 3, a meeting was held at Harbor Docks Restaurant in Destin for the purpose of getting a handle on communication and how to handle the next “takeover” that is scheduled for June 21.
In attendance were Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden, sheriff’s Capt. Jason Fulgham, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Coast Guard Station Destin, National Park Service, Destin Fire Control District and Fort Walton Beach Police Department, along with multiple pontoon boat rental companies in the area.
As of June 5, two “takeovers” or parties are being planned at Crab Island, Fulgham said.
One is a local group that will be having a party on the water like they have for the past six years, but they do not refer to it as a “takeover.”
“We’ve never had a problem with them,” Fulgham said.
“What they do, they do not call it a takeover … they are playing music and doing the legal activities. But they don’t call it a takeover,” he said.
The local group, from the Pensacola area and Okaloosa County, does not call it a takeover because of the negative connotations on the term takeover, Fulgham said.
The other group from Mississippi that is expected to converge on Crab Island on June 21 is calling their event a takeover.
In preparation for the already busy Crab Island, “We’re going to be out there in full force on the 21st,” Fulgham said.
The FWC and Coast Guard are always on the water, but Okaloosa is asking personnel from other counties to come and assist on the water that day.
At the June 3 meeting, Aden talked about the unruly activity on May 30.
“We have statutes, that’s the only thing we have. We have to have a crime, and we have to have a willing victim to press charges,” Aden said.
“That doesn’t mean there wasn’t debauchery going on … but if we don’t see it, if we don’t have it reported to us, if we don’t have a victim, we can’t prosecute,” Aden said.
After the video of the two women fighting was posted on social media, comments blew up online.
“I saw a post where somebody said unless the sheriff stops the riptide. We’re not coming back there,” Aden said. “It’s amazing to me what they think we have power over.”
Nevertheless, Aden did say, “I do think we need to get in front of them even better.”
But there is only so much law enforcement can do.
“People ask why can’t you stop it in advance?” Aden said. “You can warn people all you want, but until a crime is committed or an actual statute has been broken … that’s what we can do.”
People are not aware that Crab Island is part of the National Park Service.
“This is theirs, but they have limitations on resources,” Aden said.
Florida District Ranger Wesley Baker of the National Park Service talked about how they are stretched thin.
“It’s an uphill battle with limited resources,” Baker said, noting they have five people covering three counties.
Baker explained that a permit is required for any large gatherings, organized events, family reunions and weddings.
The companies that rent pontoon boats to get to Crab Island for the parties were willing to do what they could to help keep Crab Island safe.
“We’re willing to do whatever to make it safe. The goal is to make people enjoy themselves. Most days I don’t see a problem,” one man said.
Aden said, “This truly is a few bad apples spoil the bunch.”
When it was all said and done on Wednesday, the meeting opened the line of communications.
“I found the meeting extremely helpful because it brought watersports operators and public safety agencies together in the same room for honest, productive conversations,” said John Stephens of Luther’s Pontoons.
“It was also valuable to better understand the process of what law enforcement has been doing, what they’re currently doing, and what their plans are moving forward. Having that perspective helps operators understand expectations and allows everyone to work from the same playbook,” Stephens said.
“One of the biggest outcomes was establishing a better standard of communication between operators and agencies. When everyone is communicating and working together, we can address issues proactively and ultimately create a safer environment for both residents and visitors on our waterways,” Stephens said.
Fulgham also thought the meeting was positive.
“There was a spirit of cooperation,” Fulgham said. “We all have the same goals.
“Any time we can get together and work as a group to solve a problem … it’s well worth it,” Fulgham said.
This article originally appeared on The Destin Log: Safety agencies prepare for upcoming Crab Island ‘takeover’
Reporting by Tina Harbuck, The Destin Log / The Destin Log
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tina Harbuck, The Destin Log | USA TODAY Network
