SPRING HILL, Fla. (WFLA) — A series of “teen takeovers” across Tampa Bay have now captured the state attorney general’s attention after some of the events devolved into chaos and violence.
The latest “takeover” was set to take place on Tuesday evening at the Beacon theater in Spring Hill, but Hernando County deputies put a stop to it before anyone could begin gathering outside.
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Sheriff Al Nienhuis said some of his deputies had seen flyers advertising the “teen takeover” circulating on social media and decided to take a proactive approach.
“We wanted to react to that because we did not want to have some of the same issues that we’ve had in other areas of Tampa Bay, where teens have taken over and some violence has occurred, maybe some vandalism,” Nienhuis said. “We want our people to feel safe.”
Dozens of deputies were stationed around the theater, and the sheriff said they saw a couple carloads of people “that might have been looking for trouble” show up around the start time of the event.
“When they saw us here, they decided to go ahead and get out of the area,” Nienhuis said.
(WFLA)
Deputies in Pasco County took similar action Monday night after learning of a planned “teen takeover.” A number of teens showed up to the advertised meeting spot but soon left after seeing dozens of law enforcement officers blocking off the streets.
Other recent “takeovers” in the Tampa Bay area have amassed large crowds and resulted in fights and arrests. A 17-year-old was shot on Sunday during a “takeover” in Clearwater Beach, and nearly two dozen people between the ages of 12 and 21 were arrested after chaos broke out at a “teen takeover” in downtown Tampa in early May.
Courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department
In a post on X, Attorney General James Uthmeier shared video of teens running through the streets during the “takeover” in Clearwater Beach.
“Whoever is organizing these ‘teen takeovers,’ congrats: you have my attention,” Uthmeier wrote. “This behavior is unacceptable, and I’m having our Statewide Prosecutors develop a plan to investigate and prosecute those who are responsible for these events.”
The state attorney general has not provided any further details on what that plan could look like, but on Tuesday wrote, “Stay tuned. More to come.”
Meanwhile, local law enforcement agencies have said they plan to continue monitoring social media for these events and will be working to ensure things don’t get out of hand.
“We can react very quickly,” Nienhuis said. “So again, if you’re looking for trouble, take it someplace else.”
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