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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Osceola County authorities are investigating how they can prevent vacation rental homes from being used for large gatherings.
“We are going to work with our county government, the board of county commissioners and our county manager,” said Russ Gibson, Osceola County Sheriff. “And maybe we can see maybe do something with the county ordinance.”
The county sheriff said the idea is not to target the owners of those vacation or rental homes.
“Vacation homes are a big part of our tourism industry and we don’t want to harm that at all, but we can’t afford to sacrifice that for the holidays,” Sheriff Gibson said. “These parties are also attracting a criminal element. In no way am I saying that they are in the hands of gang members.”
Over the weekend, seven people were arrested and various firearms were recovered, including a stolen weapon.
“One person was arrested on a pending arrest warrant, it was a violation of probation for a murder for which he had been convicted,” Gibson said. “The key is to try to find the owner of the house if they are there in the house, and if they are not in the house, then try to find the person who has rented the house.”
Sheriff Gibson said those parties are held on the west side of Osceola County with up to 300 people who do not meet social distancing guidelines.
He said the party organizers are mostly from other central Florida counties looking to make money.
“They are selling tickets, yet they do, uh, you pay an entrance fee and I’m not sure how everything works, but I know it is,” he said.
The July 12 images obtained by News 6 show dozens of partygoers. Since March, the sheriff’s office has received more than 600 noise complaints.
“I hate even using the word stupid, but I can’t think of any other words to describe this,” said Gibson. “And it is also indifferent. These people are living in a moment and have not thought about what tomorrow could bring or what their actions today could cause someone they love. We are going to send a clear message that you are not going to be able to do that here in Osceola County. This will not be the party capital of the world. “
Sheriff Gibson said his teams will continue to monitor and asked residents to call authorities if they see a party at the house.
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