FLORIDA – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has a new plan to stop teen takeovers, and he’s making clear the state has no patience for violence. The announcement came just 10 days after Uthmeier reposted his disappointment over a massive teen takeover at Clearwater Beach on June 1, where a 17-year-old was shot by another teen and taken to the hospital.
“There will be zero tolerance,” Uthmeier said.
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What the plan does
Under the initiative, local law enforcement agencies will remain in charge of field operations — interviewing witnesses, executing search warrants, and making arrests. The state’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, or OSP, will step in as a support force, providing three layers of assistance:
- Subpoena Power: OSP will use its investigative authority to quickly demand records and compel sworn testimony — tools that can be difficult for local agencies to obtain on their own.
- Legal Expertise: OSP prosecutors will offer real-time legal advice and help local departments draft warrants, vehicle tracker orders, and other investigative documents.
- Case Referrals and Direct Prosecution: OSP is prepared to prosecute multi-circuit and organized criminal activity directly, or refer cases to local prosecutors to ensure no offenders slip through the cracks.
Law enforcement frustrated by recurring events
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri made clear the problem goes beyond crowds simply gathering.
“It isn’t that they just come and hang out — too many of them result in very tragic situations and unlawful activity,” Gualtieri said.
He added bluntly: “A takeover event — they don’t get to take over stuff.”
In Northeast Florida, local law enforcement has already been fighting the problem by monitoring social media. When officers identify a planned event, they move in to shut it down before it starts.
Tourists welcome — violence is not
Uthmeier was direct about the state’s message to visitors.
“We want people to come down here, we want tourists — come and enjoy our beautiful beaches and have a good time,” Uthmeier said. “But if you’re going to come down here and be violent and cause mayhem and destruction and run around in the middle of the road and obstruct traffic and scare business owners, we are going to be the most hospitable state you have ever seen.”
Officials stressed that enjoying Florida’s beaches is welcome — disrupting them is not.