Spring break on decline in South Padre

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, March 16 (UPI) -- Texas' South Padre Island was once a Mecca for college students on spring break, but many local residents say the annual tradition is starting to decline.

Dan Quandt, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitor's Bureau, is among those locals who have seen a dramatic decline in the number of college students traveling to South Padre for the yearly partying vacation, the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday.

"The whole spring break phenomenon here has been scaling back over the years," Quandt said.

Despite the decline of the popular collegiate spring break activity, last week hundreds of alcohol-related citations were handed out.

Between local sheriff's deputies and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials, at least 830 citations were issued in the South Padre area. Those tickets ranged from driving while intoxicated to underage alcohol consumption.

Commission Capt. Richard Jauregui told the Chronicle while spring break rowdiness may be scaling back that does not mean law enforcement will do the same.

"Our biggest priority is protecting public safety, and that's what we're doing," Jauregui said.