Busy summer in Okaloosa winds down with record BUI arrests, 115 teens busted with alcohol

DESTIN — Hundreds of people who were caught with or consuming alcohol underage, or drinking while operating a boat, returned home this summer with a misdemeanor on their record.

After a busy spring break during which the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office busted over 500 teens for underage possession of alcohol, deputies made an additional 115 arrests over the summer.

Anyone caught with alcohol while underage faces a $500 fine or up to 60 days in jail.

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Out on the water, the OCSO’s Marine Unit arrested 88 intoxicated boaters.

The number of boating under the influence arrests so far this year has already surpassed the record-breaking 83 arrests made in 2021. Penalties for boating under the influence include a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail for the first conviction.

The agency was No. 1 in the state for BUI arrests two years in a row, and Sgt. Kyle Corbitt said the OCSO will likely hold on to that title this year.

“Based on the stats that we had last year, there weren’t many other agencies that were close to us whatsoever. I think the second closest had 40 or 50 (arrests),” said Corbitt, who oversees the OCSO’s Marine and Beach Units.

Why BUI arrests are on the rise

BUI arrests have been trending upward for the past four years.

In 2017, only three intoxicated boaters were arrested. The county increased manpower that year after a rise in distressed swimmers and speeding violations in areas such as Crab Island in Destin.

Crab Island and other parts of Okaloosa County are popular boating destinations.

While increased enforcement plays a role, Corbitt said part of the rise in BUI arrests can be attributed to more recreational boaters taking to the waters in 2020 and the years following.

“Since COVID, the boating industry has exploded. Last year was the best year for the boating industry,” he said. “We’ve seen an increase of personal boats out here on the water and also, at least for our area, we’ve had several new rental companies open up here in the county.”

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Combine copious amounts of alcohol, numerous vessels on the water and the sun beating down on boaters, and it’s the perfect storm for boating crashes. Last year in Florida, 23% of fatal boating accidents were related to alcohol or drug use.

“That’s the biggest thing I try to tell people,” Corbitt said. “It’s going to hit you a lot harder than sitting at home and drinking a few beers. You drink a few beers out on the water and in the sun all day, and it’s going to definitely hit harder.”

Okaloosa County has consistently ranked in the Top 10 for boating accidents. The county was ranked seventh in the state in 2021, with 39 crashes reported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“That’s why we continue to increase our BUI enforcement,” Corbitt said. “We’re trying to get out of the Top 10 in boating crashes. In a lot of the boating crashes, most of the ones throughout the state, a lot of them involved alcohol.”

The Fourth of July weekend is well-known as one of the busiest and often deadliest times of the boating season.

However, this year was one of the first holiday weekends where there were no major crashes or serious injuries reported in Okaloosa County. Deputies made 17 BUI arrests over that weekend — close to 20% of this year’s total.

“It’s helping some that we can notice,” Corbitt said of increased enforcement. “We won’t get the official stats until the end of the year for statewide boating crashes.”

115 underage drinking arrests

Deputies also turned their sights to the beaches over the summer to help keep visitors and locals safe. Corbitt said underage possession of alcohol remains one of the most common arrests made on Okaloosa County beaches.

Spring breakers typically flock to Destin from nearby colleges, but in the summer, Corbitt said it is primarily families. The 115 arrests made this year is about average for the agency.

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“The one good thing, and that’s what we’ve always tried to push for our county, is making this a family environment, family-oriented," he said. "Just like out on the water, our tourism industry has exploded. This year it was a lot of families with young kids.”

Deputies also responded to a few drug complaints on the beaches, with some misdemeanor and felony drug arrests. Corbitt said drug possession remains a minor issue compared to the number of teens caught with alcohol each year.

“Every now and then we’ll have a few fights over trespassing and the private and public beaches,” he added. “Those kind of issues, we tend to not really have any arrests over that. It’s just a lot of bickering and verbal fighting.”

Most issues tend to occur at public beach accesses in Destin, where large crowds of people gather.

Although a busy summer for tourism, the traffic on the beach has slowed significantly over the past few weeks. Corbitt said Labor Day typically marks the end of summer tourism. However, out on the water, it is a different story.

Corbitt said the Marine Unit has seen large amounts of boating traffic through November since 2020. The Beach Unit typically begins helping out with other calls for service during the off-season, but the Marine Unit will be well-staffed for some time.

In addition to boating sober, boat operators are strongly encouraged to take a boating safety class and to familiarize themselves with safety measures such as wearing a flotation device and having a "kill" switch tethered around them.

“Until the weather starts getting cold, there’s still going to be people out there renting boats and people that have their own personal boats out there,” Corbitt said. “We’ll be continuing being out there in the water all throughout the winter.”

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: OCSO's summer: Record BUI arrests, 115 teens caught with alcohol