Panhandle authorities report more spring break arrests

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say spring break arrests set records in the Florida Panhandle this year.

Law enforcement officials tell The News Herald, they saw across-the-board increases in calls for service, arrests and gun-related incidents during March.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office reports, arrests jumped to 928 compared with 324 in March 2014. The agency says gun seizures increased from nine last March to 39 this year.

Panama City Beach Police reported 935 arrests compared with 772 in March 2014. Police said they seized 33 guns last month compared with 26 last year.

Maj. Tommy Ford of the sheriff’s office says having more officers working during spring break may be contributing to more arrests.

The Tourist Development Council gave each agency $150,000 for additional resources during spring break.