ANNA MARIA ISLAND – While recent temperatures on Anna Maria Island have been in the 80s, many college students north of Florida are cold and in need of some island time to reset, refresh, then finish out the 2023-24 school year.
While most students get seven to 10 days of spring break, for the Island, spring break is six weeks long. The reason is that different states and regions of the U.S. have spring break during different times. Spring breakers will be on the Island from now through the second week of April, depending on where they’re coming from.
All the students The Sun found last week during the Island’s first week of spring break were from Michigan.
“We’re Michigan Wolverines, we’re national champs and we’re here to keep the party going,” Shawn Martin said. “I’m here with a bunch of my friends and we’re staying at a house owned by a relative. We’re here to have fun, but if we wanted the crazy party club scene we’d be in Daytona Beach or Miami. We actually like the vibe of AMI, it’s a chill place and the cops aren’t breaking up riots in the streets every night. Not all spring breakers are crazy; we have a heavy course load and we just want a vacation like everybody else.”
Martin’s sentiment was echoed by a pair of sorority sisters from Ferris State University, also in Michigan.
“Yesterday (March 1) was our first day of spring break, and we’re off until the 10th,” Grace Westenfeld said. “I have family that lives here and I have a free place to stay. I love the Island and it’s just a great place to be. I don’t like the big giant party places, this is kind of mellow and I like it.”
“I also have grandparents that live in Ellenton, which is not far,” said Westenfeld’s friend and sorority sister, Samantha Stanek. “I like that when you’re here, you get to know people more personally than if you’re in a big club jumping up and down to the loud music.”
Just because AMI is not known as a party place like Miami or even nearby Siesta Key, it doesn’t mean there aren’t problems this time of year. Any time a large number of people descend on the Island, there are issues that arise and precautions that should be taken.
“As usual, we’ll have extra patrol day and night during the spring break season,” Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said. “We’ve been pretty lucky throughout the past few years. We haven’t really had any serious problems, and most of the issues we have had have been taken care of then and there and not become a bigger issue.”
Diaz did say his department will be watching for people publicly intoxicated, and said most of the crimes during the busy times of year, such as spring break, are crimes of opportunity, and simply using common sense like walking in groups and securing valuables while enjoying beach time will prevent most problems before they begin.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer offered a list of concerns and issues:
• Allow extra time when coming onto the Island. There’s already been a lot of traffic, so be patient;
• Park in designated spaces, and always parallel park with all four tires off the road in spaces where that is required;
• If you want to park at the public beach, get there early;
• Pay attention to signs. The city has worked hard to make it obvious where parking is permitted;
• When you go to the beach, don’t leave valuables visible in your car. Also, secure items in your trunk before you arrive at beach parking so you’re not showing people where you’ve secured your belongings;
• Don’t leave valuables under or on your towel at the beach. If you go for a walk, take them with you.
“We will be monitoring the beach for illegal activities such as alcohol, pets and grills,” Tokajer said. “We want everyone to know that this is a family atmosphere and that’s the way we intend to keep it. We will be monitoring parking and enforcing all parking violations.”
Island police departments also agree that oftentimes, visitors see how beautiful and laid back AMI is and sometimes let their guard down. While violent crime is not common among strangers on AMI, even in paradise, it’s important to remain aware of one’s surroundings and use the same common sense as if visiting a major city. Most problems are preventable, police say, with a bit of vigilance and awareness of the surroundings.
