Alabama Coastal Police Gear Up to Enforce Laws and Protect Everyone
GULF SHORES, Ala.
By Rick McCann
BlueRAMMedia.com
March 2, 2025
It’s officially Spring Break on Alabama’s Gulf Coast!
And once again the police have given stern warnings about underage drinking, use of drugs, and breaking the law while visiting the Gulf Coast while on spring break.
And again this year, there’s no alcohol allowed on the beach in Gulf Shores until the end of April. And that applies to both college age visitors and all adults alike.
So far, statistically, the Alabama Coast has not attracted the level of problems that other beaches are known for even though there have been two shootings in the area during consecutive years.
Eighteen-year-old Gregory D. Tate, III of Bay Minette was arrested last for shooting a person in March 2024.
The shooting happened in a crowded area of the Gulf Shores beach district around 8:30 p.m. Police said a group of teens from north Baldwin County got into an argument at the intersection of Highway 59 and East Beach Boulevard which resulted in the shooting.
There was also a shooting in March 2023 near the Hangout which resulted in the arrest of Rafiq Sh’mare Joel Bradley, 23, of Fairhope, who later pleaded guilty to assault and shooting into an occupied building.
During Spring Break, there are also thousands of other tourists in the area enjoying the holidays and public safety is a priority, local law enforcement has stated repeatedly.
But, year after year, the makeup of visitors has taken on a new look. Younger, often underage teenagers who are unsupervised and some who have concealed firearms.
As with other beaches, crime involving minors and young adults has increased. More teens are using firearms to settle their differences while others are quick to rob, steal, and hurt others to get what they want.
It’s a national trend and one that can already be seen taking hold along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast.
Police are doing everything within their means to make sure that crime is kept to a minimum.
This year, they’ve introduced more surveillance cameras, beefed up manpower and there may be a few plainclothes officers blending in as well.
“We’re not going to allow shootings or violence at all this year,” said interim Gulf Shores Police Chief, Dan Netemeyer. “We’ve partnered with all the businesses down in the beachfront area. They’re asking us to enforce the loitering in the parking lot or doing burnouts and things like that. It’s going to be a zero-tolerance area down here.”
While Orange Beach doesn’t ban alcohol, it has put out strong messaging on social media and through electronic highway signage, letting visitors know the city has a zero-tolerance for drug use and underage drinking.
“When we say zero, we mean zero,” Lt. Trent Johnson emphasized! “If you are under the age and you possess alcohol, you are going to go to jail. If you’re under the age of eighteen, we’re going to call your parents. There are no second chances on that.”
ALEA and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office also partner with local police during this time of the year, but we have not heard if ALEA’s helicopter will return to be the eye in the sky this season.
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