New Smyrna Beach police crack down on safety ahead of Spring Break: What is a Special Event Zone?

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Ahead of "Senior Skip Day" and Spring Break, the New Smyrna Beach Police Department is establishing a Special Event Zone, which allows for increased fines and higher penalties for those in violation of certain safety provisions.

What is a Special Event Zone?

The backstory:

The Special Event Zone was designated under a Florida law that took effect in 2022.

The law allows the sheriff or chief administrative officer of a municipality to designate an area as a Special Event Zone in response to events.

Police said the events include "unpermitted activities or gatherings organized through social media that involve 50 or more people and cause significant disruptions to the normal flow of traffic on public roadways."

What is allowed under a designated Special Event Zone?

What we know:

The law outlining the Special Event Zone includes:

Doubling the statutory fine for any noncriminal traffic infraction that occurs within a Special Event Zone.
Allowing a law enforcement officer to impound a vehicle for up to 72 hours for any noncriminal traffic infraction or criminal traffic violation that occurs in a Special Event Zone.
Authorizing a law enforcement officer to enforce occupancy limits in a Special Event Zone.
Providing for the recovery of costs associated with designating and enforcing a Special Event Zone from the organizer or promoter of the special event.

When will the Special Event Zone begin and end?

Timeline:

The New Smyrna Beach Police Department said the Special Event Zone designation will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 13.

Officials said the designation will remain in effect as long as necessary.

The designation will not remain in effect after the unpermitted event dissipates, police said.

The Special Event Zone will stretch from the Publix Super Market at Indian River to the Beachway Avenue beach access point, as well as out to Bouchelles Island. The complete map can be seen in the image below.

Those who have questions about the Special Event Zone should contact the New Smyrna Beach Police Department at (386) 424-2220.

This map shows the Special Event Zone that the New Smyrna Beach Police Department is establishing beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. (Credit: New Smyrna Beach Police Department)

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