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Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission intervened last Saturday in Panama City Beach to curb what they described as excessive twerking during the spring break festivities, reported the American media outlet The New York Post.
The authorities also warned groups of women dancing on the sand that they could face criminal charges.
According to the reporter from the mentioned outlet, who claims to have witnessed the event, an officer approached the bathers equipped with a paintball gun and pepper spray and shouted at them: "No twerking! You will be charged with disorderly conduct!"
The Bay County sheriff, Tommy Ford, came out to clarify the actions of his officers. "It is not inherently illegal unless it becomes lascivious or if there is a complaint for a noise ordinance," he stated.
Under the Florida Statute 877.03, disorderly conduct is a second-degree misdemeanor that can result in up to 60 days in jail and fines of up to $500.
The intervention occurs in a context of widespread hardening of the authorities in Florida's panhandle in response to spring break 2026. From March 14 to 16, Daytona Beach experienced the most severe episode of the season when a social media-organized "takeover" drew thousands of people, resulting in four shootings, a panic stampede triggered by the sound of breaking bottles, and more than 130 arrests in Volusia County.
On March 20, Daytona Beach declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew for minors from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., along with doubled fines and vehicle confiscation for 72 hours. The local sheriff, Mike Chitwood, also threatened to file civil lawsuits against the organizers of the chaos.
Sheriff Ford fears that the measures in Daytona will divert crowds to Panama City Beach. "When you have thousands of people showing up in one place, there are some with weapons. There are gang members. And you have crowd dynamics where someone pulls out a gun and causes a stampede," he warned.
Panama City Beach has been trying to reshape its image for years. For decades, it was the undisputed capital of American spring break, catapulted to fame by the MTV Spring Break at Club La Vela since 1986. However, after shootings and a fivefold increase in drug-related arrests in the mid-2010s, the city banned alcohol on the beach.
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