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The Tybee Island police and community are preparing for this year’s Orange Crush event. In previous years the event has been plagued by violence and arrests, so this year all party’s involved are taking the necessary measures to prevent that.
Orange Crush a a popular spring break event for HBCU students. Due to the high level of alcohol-fueled violence that has taken place at the event, Tybee Island Manager Bret Bell says that there will be “an overwhelming police presence for that weekend.”
An authorized beach party is part of this year's Orange Crush. Among other things, promoters had to hire sworn officials to offer security. Additionally, troopers, cops, and deputies from all over Georgia are being brought to Tybee Island.
The 50,000 tourists that are anticipated to visit Tybee Island this year will also be subject to a curfew. Parking will be restricted along Tybee's main streets, and barricades will eventually be placed to prevent access to residential neighborhoods.
“Troopers will help us with traffic. Motor carriers will maintain emergency lanes so emergency vehicles can move about the island. DNR rangers on the beach just like last year,” Tybee Island Police Department Chief Tiffany Hayes said.
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The beach party began as a spring break weekend celebration put on by Savannah State University's student government association, a nearby HBCU. Former NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and current Savannah Mayor Van Johnson were among the founders. In 1989, they debuted Orange Crush, which was named after one of the school's colors.
In 1991, Savannah State broke ties with the event after a drowning and other arrests ruined the celebration. However, the beach weekend in Savannah had become a yearly ritual by that point, and the students and young adults continued to attend on a single Saturday in April.
Initially, word of mouth was used to spread the precise date of the gathering. Following the onset of the digital age, social media emerged as the primary marketing platform, with event planners using the name Orange Crush to advertise parties without permits.
Over the years, Orange Crush became extremely controversial. Without a defined event framework or unified organizing group, Orange Crush grew more and more disorderly. On an island reachable by a single road, Tybee locals expressed concern about traffic congestion and property damage, which pose a public safety risk. Many people compared the event to Atlanta's HBCU spring break street celebration in the 1980s and 1990s, known as FreakNik.
