Spring Break attracted more families than students

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WALA) - Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies issued at least 342 citations to underage drinkers during Spring Break, that compares to 566 notices-to-appear for underage possession of alcohol handed out in Spring Break of 2010.

Deputies on Beach Patrol say other than two very busy weeks during March, the 2011 Spring Break season appeared to attract more families than college students. That is reflected in the lower number of citations written: of those notices to appear, 98 were issued to high school students from various states, including Florida - and 244 were issued to college students.

Here is a breakdown of some of the states with the highest number of offenders cited during Spring Break 2010:

• MISSISSIPPI: 55 college students, 18 high school students
• ALABAMA: 35 college students, 9 high school students
• GEORGIA: 50 college students, 15 high school students
• TENNESSEE: 19 college students, 6 high school students
• LOUISIANA: 28 college students, 18 high school students
• LOCALS: 3 college students, 4 high school students

NTA’s for underage alcohol possession were also issued to students from Missouri, Arkansas, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

In addition to 342 citations for underage drinking, Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputies also arrested three out-of-state high school students on separate charges involving either retail theft or possession of marijuana.

This year deputies on beach patrol had a mobile computer terminal on their ATV’s to help make the process of tracking down information more efficient. They say one of the more common problems encountered was students giving them fake identities. The mobile computers allowed them to sort that out quickly.