Opinion: PCB Spring Break Shooting: Can We Stop Them?

For the past decade-plus, Panama City Beach (PCB) has been doing all it can to change the environment to a more family-friendly one during Spring Break. Until recently, the efforts of the Sheriff, City, and the Tourist Development Council (TDC) have been very successful. 

That all changed, sadly, this year, thanks to a couple of bad actors. We live in a fallen world, and there will always be bad actors, but we do not have to invite them to our town. 

Unfortunately, there seem to be three different establishments that could care less about the safety of locals and tourists alike. And there is no shortage of people willing to come to town and act like fools. 

Ok, Rex, thanks for stating the obvious, but what is your plan to stop it? 

Well, there are two paths, in my humble opinion, for the community to take. First, the community has proven that when they want to, they can get businesses and politicians to act. Take the recent protest at Gulf World. I seem to recall my wife telling me about them on the Tuesday before and me replying that the politicians at every level will be involved by the weekend, given the uproar. And sure enough, from the state house down the politicians were running to the microphone to tell us what they were going to do. The point is that well-timed protests in tourist season at the three establishments identified by law enforcement and a boycott of those places by locals can lead to a change in behavior. 

But it cannot be like Gulf World, one and done. 

The second path to behavior modification is one that I am not fond of, but when a business is literally endangering the lives of those that live here and visit, it is time to take the gloves off and use the full force of the regulatory state for good for once. In order to operate any business, let alone one that serves food and alcohol, there are a myriad of regulations that a business must comply with. And if the powers that be decided to start enforcing every one of them to the letter and inspecting weekly, if not daily. My guess is that the goal of behavior modification will be met. 

Take this gem: In Florida, a liquor license can be revoked for various reasons, including serving minors, overserving intoxicated patrons, violating local laws, failing to operate for enough hours, or engaging in unlawful practices on the premises. My guess is if law enforcement and the health department, just to name two agencies, made frequent visits at the right times. The case can be built for license revocation. 

If I were the business owner, I would be running to the microphone to apologize and volunteering to heed law enforcement's requests. Sadly, money is the root of all evil, and we are right back where we started in a fallen world. 

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