GULF SHORES, AL – On March 18 during a special council meeting, the Gulf Shores City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance to prohibit the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages along the entire Gulf beaches in the city.

The ban on alcohol is in effect from March 1 through April 17.

Orange Beach mayor Tony Kennon has talked about a ban in his city but City Administrator Ken Grimes said "not at this time" when informed of the Gulf Shores ban.

“The city has a responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of our residents and visitors and an obligation to protect the reputation of the city as a family-friendly destination,” Mayor Robert Craft said. “In order to keep spring break in Gulf Shores a safe environment it is time we take action.”

Officials said dangerous, large crowds gathered earlier in the week in the area of San Carlos condominiums, the Best Western and Regatta.

“The groups typically built over relatively short period of time and what we are seeing is they grow to the point where there is literally thousands of people in one mass area,” Chief of Police Ed Delmore said. “After that group gets to that point we have difficulty monitoring what’s going on with it. “Drinking goes on for several hours at a time. These individuals are getting extremely intoxicated.”

While police have so far been able to keep the crowds mostly under control, Delmore says with large groups he is concerned about the potential for situations escalating.

“It becomes dangerous for these kids and anyone around them,” Delmore said. “Up to this point we have been able to go in, separate the real problems within the group and then removing the groups methodically from the area.

“However, as this continues to happen, the potential for bigger, more dangerous issues continues.”

Craft said at some point the safety of police officers themselves could be at risk.

“You put eight or nine policemen down there and 1,500 kids on the beach and them fired by alcohol, I feel we owe it to our officers not to put them in that dangerous situation,” Craft said. “If that got bad it could get bad real quick and we don’t want them in a situation to have to protect themselves or even worse defend themselves.

“Then you’ve got a real problem. We don’t want to put them in that situation.”

Delmore said the ban is a tool his department can use to keep the large crowds from forming.

“This gives the opportunity to come in proactively and deal with that before it becomes an issue,” Delmore said. “We’re going to start out with education. We’re learned we have to get down there early. We have the new law and you can’t have it down there.”

This new ban prohibits any person from possessing or consuming any alcohol on any portion of the beach south of the protected sand dunes within the City of Gulf Shores city limits from Gulf State Park on the east to city’s westernmost boundary near the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge.

It goes into effect immediately.

“We’ll working the beach tomorrow informing people,” Craft said.

Council members passed the new ordinance 5-0 as Councilman Jason Dyken didn’t attend.

“I feel fortunate to live in a community that puts greater value on the quality of life and the safety of others than it does the cash register,” Councilman Phillip Harris said. “We all know this is going to have impact in the business community and this is going to be a transition that we’ll have to go through.

“It’s nice to see the leadership we have on our staff and then to be supported by the business community and folks we know are going to be impacted.”

Councilman Steve Jones was reluctant to approve the ban, but felt the city was given no choice.

“I hate we had to do this and I was hoping we didn’t have to do it,” Jones said. “But from everything the police and others were telling us we feel like it is necessary.”

Any person in violation of this ordinance shall be guilty of an offense punishable by up to $500 and/or six months in jail.