- March 15, 2026
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Spring break in Florida and the beach go hand in hand, and beach towns such as Longboat Key are the primary destinations.
On the 11 miles of the white-sandy shore, scores of tourists drag beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers and kids to enjoy the shoreline. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for Longboat Key, and the Longboat Key Police Department prepares for the influx.
“You really want to have a higher police presence in the week or two of spring break. We put together an operations plan to say we’re going to have beach coverage, parking lot coverage and have a higher visibility on the island as it relates to that week,” Police Chief Russ Mager said. “It’s a little different because you do get a higher transient population and more vacationers here during that time.”
Mager said officers will be on boats patrolling both the Gulf and Sarasota Bay, and on ATVs patrolling the beach itself to ensure rules are being followed.
“We go out there on the ATVs and are able to get onto the sand and being more on the beach to patrol rather than being in a car,” he said. “You really have to be out there on the beach. That allows us to get extra patrol and higher visibility on the beach area.”
| Allowed on beach | Not allowed on beach |
|---|---|
Fishing | Fires unless contained in a grill |
| Beach umbrellas | Glass containers |
Eating and drinking | Alcohol |
| Swimming | Setting up tents |
Soccer, football, Frisbee, most other sports | Taking, trapping, removing or disturbing plants or animals (fishing is allowed) |
| Surfing, skimboarding and boogie boarding | Littering |
| Building sand castles (tear down when leaving beach during sea turtle season) | Profane or obscene language |
| Flying kites | Removing sand, rock or gravel from beach (state law) |
| Collecting sea shells and sand dollars | Launching motorized vessels into Gulf by bringing across beach |
Grilling | Jumping off fishing pier or other coastal structure |
| Using a metal detector | Golf, including chipping and putting |
| Sunbathing | Smoking |
| Bringing pets or animals to the beach (service animals exempt) |
Most issues during spring break revolve around heavier traffic, parking violations, alcohol-related offenses and noise complaints. To combat those issues, LKPD does its best to increase visibility to hopefully prevent issues before they begin.
“Our goal is to take a more proactive approach with higher visibility and enforcement,” Mager said. “We welcome all visitors to enjoy our beautiful island, but we ask that you be respectful and obey the laws and ordinances in our town.”
The main focus, Mager said, is education. Officers hand out pamphlets and issue warnings to spread awareness of the local rules and ordinances on Longboat Key.
Police are also on the lookout for ordinance violations away from the beach. Because the town has no parking enforcement division, police also stay on the lookout for parking violations. Beach parking is available at 11 locations, the addresses of which can be found at longboatkey.org/visitors/beaches. Parking in other locations including condo complexes and residential streets will garner a $75 fine and the potential to be towed. Residents who suspect illegal parking are encouraged to call the Police Department dispatch line at 941-316-1201.
Longboat Key beaches are open to the public from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
