PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) \u2013 Local law enforcement officers are very familiar with so-called \u201cTeen Takeovers.\u201d The disturbances have been getting a lot more attention lately after popping up in Clearwater, Daytona, and Miami.<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s attorney general is now offering more resources to local governments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we put you in handcuffs, and you\u2019re saying that you\u2019re sorry, that\u2019s not going to be enough,\u201d Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez said.<\/p>\n
State officials are stepping in to put a stop to the \u201cTeen Takeovers\u201d that have been spread to some of Florida\u2019s major cities. It\u2019s something Bay County has battled for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of feel like these teen takeovers were invented here. Infamously, the one we had around 2021, where we made 150 arrests in two nights and seized 75 illegal guns, was kind of a watershed moment for us. But this is somewhat of a recent national phenomenon,\u201d Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what the rest of the country has seen is what we\u2019ve been dealing with for the past couple of years, and I think we all know we\u2019re ahead of the curve,\u201d Talamantez said.<\/p>\n
The \u201cTeen Takeovers\u201d generally begin with a flyer posted on social media advertising the event.<\/p>\n
The consequences for organizing these events are about to get more extreme for offenders.<\/p>\n
Attorney General James Uthmeier directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to provide tools to local police and sheriff\u2019s offices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be pursuing every tool we\u2019ve got to go after the larger operators who are spending money to create these dangerous situations. People out there think they\u2019re going to get away with it and hide behind a screen, hide behind social media. No, we\u2019re going to be looking at digital footprints,\u201d Uthmeier said.<\/p>\n
The OSP will help obtain records, provide legal expertise, case referrals and direct prosecution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe work closely with our local state attorney because to be honest, most of these are going to be prosecuted locally. But it\u2019s always good to have the statewide backing and exposure on these issues,\u201d Ford said.<\/p>\n
Violators could be charged with the same crimes that are committed by the teenage offenders. They could also face conspiracy charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because you\u2019re a kid, does not mean you\u2019re going to be able to just do anything you want to do without consequence. We hear it all the time. I\u2019m just a kid. You can\u2019t take me to jail. I\u2019m just a kid. What are you going to do? Well, you\u2019re about to find out,\u201d Talamantez said.<\/p>\n
Uthmeier is also reminding local agencies that Florida has a relatively new that increases penalties for offenses committed during a riot.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do not have a First Amendment right to stand in the middle of the street, obstruct traffic and threaten violence. You do not. If you do that, people have the ability to run you over. If you do that, you\u2019ll be arrested. If you do that, we will bring strong prosecutions. We will keep our streets safe,\u201d Uthmeier said.<\/p>\n
Florida counties are beginning to launch special event zones, a regulation already in place in Bay County during high-impact periods.<\/p>\n
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