Public vs Private Beach [threads merged]
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BMBvagrant, I apologize for not answering your question sooner, I was tied up all day yesterday. As for historical context, when I was a child, teen and college student we pretty much did whatever we wanted, we had bonfires, parties, camped on the beach and drove on the beach. The county only had 5-6 total deputies and they covered the entire county 24/7 so the chances of actually seeing one outside of DeFuniak Springs was small. From 1984-2000 I worked for Sheriff Quinn McMillian. When I started we had 24 deputies in the county. Except for Mirimar Beach many of the activities on the beach were unchanged and you would have been fired for arresting someone for Trespass on the white sand part of the beach. The only exception to that might have been around SanDestin but I do not remember a trespass arrest there either. There were many Disorderly Intoxication and Minors in Possession arrests though. I also worked for Sheriff Ralph Johnson from 2000-2006 and was County Corrections Director from 2006-2010, when the current sheriff was in office. Johnson changed the policy to arresting individuals for trespass on the beach with a signed complaint and this change was controversial. One captain was demoted and forced to retire in 2004 because he refused to go to Mirimar and arrest an alleged trespasser on the white sand. The captain's defense was that he called the judge and the judge told him no law was being broken. Eventually such an arrest actually occurred in 2007 and the arrested individual, a tourist from Atlanta, pled out in court. The policy reverted to much as it was prior to the Johnson administration after his defeat in 2008. Deputies also worked security off-duty for many developments on the beach beginning with Edgewater in 1988 but enforcing alleged Trespass was not part of the job. Keeping people from coming off the beach and getting in the hot tubs and pools of the various developments was though.
Danny, no worries! Some of us have a life (not me BTW). 
You way more than answered my question...much appreciated. And I learned quite a bit about the sheriff's policy "evolution" through the years. It is very interesting that during the 1984-2000 period, the policy was for trespassing claims on the sandy beach to be basically ignored.
So whether or not a beach front private property owner tried to enforce their private property rights, it sounds like the sheriff's policy at that time was to look the other way. Apparently it didn't matter whether or not an owner tried to enforce no trespassing - they received no relief. I can possibly see beachfront owners not even bothering to enforce no trespassing during this period assuming this was widely known as it probably was - they just tolerated it.
When you mentioned the arrest in 2007, it reminded me about the hotly discussed thread "Led Away in Handcuffs". I just spent a couple hours re-reading and still have not reached the end.
Many of the issues discussed here were discussed then. I can at least say that my positions have been pretty much consistent then and now. I saw where I made a reference (as I did on this thread) to the TDC not clearly defining what was public and private beach possibly resulting in the arrest and other incidents. And some others agreed....walking to the end of a public access and not being able to go east or west without going on private property.
It's really worth a read if one is truly interested in this subject. There was an individual (I have no idea who he actually was) that cast blame on certain parties regarding "out of control growth" vs. the beach access problems. Although he partly blamed certain real estate individuals that were posting, I do understand his inference to the entire real estate industry including developers down here. The other blame singled out the county for lack of clarity regarding beach ownership. In my opinion, he was spot-on. Click here for post. (Bob Wells, this might help shed some light on the "problem" we recently discussed.)
After re-reading it, I can't believe it's been almost 9 years!
You way more than answered my question...much appreciated. And I learned quite a bit about the sheriff's policy "evolution" through the years. It is very interesting that during the 1984-2000 period, the policy was for trespassing claims on the sandy beach to be basically ignored.
So whether or not a beach front private property owner tried to enforce their private property rights, it sounds like the sheriff's policy at that time was to look the other way. Apparently it didn't matter whether or not an owner tried to enforce no trespassing - they received no relief. I can possibly see beachfront owners not even bothering to enforce no trespassing during this period assuming this was widely known as it probably was - they just tolerated it.
When you mentioned the arrest in 2007, it reminded me about the hotly discussed thread "Led Away in Handcuffs". I just spent a couple hours re-reading and still have not reached the end.
Many of the issues discussed here were discussed then. I can at least say that my positions have been pretty much consistent then and now. I saw where I made a reference (as I did on this thread) to the TDC not clearly defining what was public and private beach possibly resulting in the arrest and other incidents. And some others agreed....walking to the end of a public access and not being able to go east or west without going on private property.
It's really worth a read if one is truly interested in this subject. There was an individual (I have no idea who he actually was) that cast blame on certain parties regarding "out of control growth" vs. the beach access problems. Although he partly blamed certain real estate individuals that were posting, I do understand his inference to the entire real estate industry including developers down here. The other blame singled out the county for lack of clarity regarding beach ownership. In my opinion, he was spot-on. Click here for post. (Bob Wells, this might help shed some light on the "problem" we recently discussed.)
After re-reading it, I can't believe it's been almost 9 years!
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Sounds like Sheriff Johnson actually tried to protect Private Property while Sheriff Mike has chosen to do the "Walton Two Step" and create obstacles (adding to the clutter on the beach), as well as blaming everyone but himself for this situation.
Let me ask everyone on this list a question; do you actually know anyone that has been prevented from walking East to West along any beach in SoWal?
Simple question. Yes or No.
John G, to be fair, much of the current Walton policy is in line with the Okaloosa policy that was developed by Sheriff Larry Gilbert and enforced by sheriff's Morris and Ashley. If memory serves we were the only county in the panhandle attempting to enforce Trespass on the white sand in the 2000's. So the current policy is in line with our neighbors. In fact, I believe WCSO's policy still leans more towards the property owners than our neighbors.
No
No
Trying to sit below(seaward) the MHWL YES YES all over the beach
No.
No.
Beachfront property owners should have the right to protect their property. Dunes help protect the houses. Before the storms in 2005 there were a lot more dunes and a lot more beach area. The dunes and beach have not built back up as they did in the past. I firmly believe this is due to the number of people on the beaches. Beachfront owners put up sand fence to rebuild the dunes they once had. Without a barrier, many beach goers feel free to climb all over what dunes you do have, sit on your walkover, climb up on the neighbors walk over when they aren't home, etc. The foot traffic keeps the dunes from building. People stomp all over the sea oats and think nothing of it. Many think this doesn't happen very often but it happens numerous times per day especially during tourist season. People will come to the beach and want to sit right at the vegetation line on the dune. Teach them to go sit where the beach is flat and not on the dunes. It would be great to educate the public on these things instead of referring to beachfront property owners as "selfish".