Dozens of spring breakers were arrested and cited during the “Orange Crush” beach party in Savannah, Ga last weekend, where authorities also recovered stolen firearms and a vehicle. Despite the high number of arrests, it was lower than the previous year when 81 people were arrested during the event, which typically attracts around 50,000 college students to the 3-square-mile island.
Local leaders implemented traffic and safety measures, including bringing in over 100 additional police officers to help control the rowdy crowd that had become violent and chaotic in previous years. Videos of fights on the beach, trash left behind by partiers, and bathing suits flying off during scuffles were posted online, drawing attention to the unruly behavior during the event.
The festival, which has a history of wild atmosphere in the 1990s, had had its association with Savannah State University severed in 1991 due to high crime rates. Despite this, the event returned to Tybee Island last year after a hiatus and this year saw similar issues with fights and trash left on the beach. Cleanup efforts were assisted by volunteers and Savannah State students who helped maintain order during the event.
Tybee Island Mayor Brian West called the event “manageable” thanks to the preparation efforts and the help of volunteers and authorities who worked to keep things under control. Although there was still a lot of trash left behind by the spring breakers, the chaotic scenes from previous years seemed to have been minimized, according to the City Manager, Michelle Owens.
In addition to Tybee Island, the City of Savannah also had to deal with large crowds of spring breakers downtown, causing the Savannah Police Department to temporarily shut down West Congress Street. However, Mayor Van Johnson stated that things went well thanks to the protocols in place for managing the crowds and enforcing rules. Johnson, a Savannah State University alumni, interacted with some of the partiers and shared memories of the early days of Orange Crush parties.
Overall, despite the rowdy behavior and high number of arrests during the “Orange Crush” beach party in Savannah, many efforts were made by local leaders, authorities, and volunteers to manage the event successfully. While incidents of fights and trash left behind were reported, the community was largely cooperative with authorities, and cleanup efforts were organized to ensure the area was restored to its previous state. Mayor Johnson also interacted with partiers and shared nostalgic stories of his involvement in organizing similar events in the past.
