Panama City Beach locals react to spring break horrors

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Panama City Beach locals react to spring break horrors

Councilwoman and business owner weigh in on 'Hannity'

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 17, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And welcome to this special edition of "Hannity."  Sadly, our dire warnings about the dangers of spring break have now become a reality. Tonight, we want to make sure your kids never experience another spring break nightmare.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRAPHIC: THIS YEAR SPRING 2015

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have got to get control of our beaches.

GRAPHIC: LAST YEAR SPRING 2014

HANNITY, APRIL 1, 2014: They're talking about robbing, rapes, gun violence, that in other words, there are people that are preying on the kids that are drunk and using drugs and they're selling drugs.

AINSLEY EARHARDT, CO-HOST, "FOX & FRIENDS FIRST," APRIL 1, 2014: I was fearful for my life. I had to go -- at some point, when I lost the photographer and I lost the producer on the beach, these two guys in particular kept harassing me.

GAVIN MCINNES, APRIL 4, 2014: All we can do is pray that our daughters don't go down there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They bring guns, that rape, rob, pilfer. That's what we really have to deal with more than anything.

GRAPHIC: THIS YEAR SPRING 2015

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people that come into Panama City Beach think that this is acceptable. This is not acceptable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not safe. The police are doing the best they can, but it's not safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are in Panama City Beach, Florida, my friend got shot!

HANNITY: During spring break in Panama City Beach, Florida, where we have been the last two years, seven people were shot at a party, and two are in critical condition.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what we see every day.

HANNITY: Now, police have arrested two men after discovering this video of an alleged gang rape that took place last month in broad daylight in Panama City Beach, Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to wake up and see what's going on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY: And welcome to "Hannity." This year's spring break season appears to have come and gone in Panama City Beach, Florida, but not before it left so much devastation and tragedy in its wake. Now, we recently sent our team of producers down to Panama City Beach to get local reaction to this year's chaos. And take a look at what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's gotten out of control, man. It really has.  And in my eyes, nothing positive happened this spring break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A crazy month-and-a-half, two months. It's ridiculous. Some of these things that go on in Panama City, it's just changed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't get me wrong, I love spring break. It's a great time of the year. But to live here as a local, it makes it a bad time of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the period of time that those people are down here, they bring a little bit of money and a lot of grief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honest, I think they should bring the National Guard on the weekends or any time definitely during spring break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Next year, the way things are going, I don't think it's going to get any better. I stand behind Sheriff Frank McKeithen, and I hope that this town will do something to make sure this does not happen again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY: Here now with local reaction is Panama City Beach Councilwoman Josie Strange is with us. You know, you said when we went down this year, it is not safe. You were the only councilwoman, when we went down, that was willing to talk to us.

Councilwoman, since then, seven people have been shot. We had this alleged gang rape now in broad daylight on the beach of a girl that's unconscious.  Is it worse than that?

JOSIE STRANGE, PANAMA CITY BEACH CITY COUNCIL: Is it worse than that, that hasn't been reported? Is that what you're asking me, Mr. Hannity?

HANNITY: Yes, ma'am.

STRANGE: I'm sure a lot worse happened that wasn't reported.

HANNITY: Yes.

STRANGE: And I fully believe, had we followed the sheriff's recommendations last year, none of this would have happened.

HANNITY: The sheriff has been warning that this type of thing would happen for two years, correct?

STRANGE: That is correct.

HANNITY: Now, to the credit of another council member, he came on this program and apologized to his constituents, saying that he should have taken it more seriously. That was after the shooting occurred, correct?

STRANGE: I believe it was before the shooting occurred.

HANNITY: Oh, OK. So it was -- better than after the shooting. But now we have a mayor -- your mayor keeps talking about the money. Like, she said the people work hard, they make a lot of money during spring break.  Has this now become really about the money for Panama City Beach?

STRANGE: I honestly hope not. I use this term loosely, but the beach has been whored out long enough. And we just can't continue this way, money or not. It's got to stop.

Spring break used to be a wonderful time. Families came down here.  The restaurants were full. The hotels were full. The -- even the clubs were full. I don't know why it's gotten this bad, other than the drinking, the drugs and the social media.

HANNITY: Now, it's interesting...

STRANGE: We're doing...

HANNITY: In a minute, we're going to talk to somebody who blames me for all of this, as if I am the problem because we cover the story. I see you laughing there.

But let's just let the numbers speak for themselves. From last year, when we covered it first, to this year, the number of reports that the police received -- it's gone up 81 percent. We have the total calls for service has gone up 49 percent. Total beach ordinances, well, that's gone up a whopping 34,600 percent.

Then we have total arrests. Well, that's a 237 percent increase. We have the total drug arrests in the area. That's a 370 percent increase.  We have the total weapons charges. That's 100 percent increase, a doubling from last year. And sex offenses reported -- that would be an 83 percent increase. And I'm not sure if that includes this woman in the alleged gang rape.

How could this happen, a gang rape in broad daylight on the beach with people all around this unconscious girl. How can that possibly happen?

STRANGE: It's beyond my comprehension, especially if it was behind one of the super-clubs, which they had stood before the council and said that they have security of their own out there walking the beaches...

HANNITY: What club was that?

STRANGE: ... cameras out there. All the super-clubs.

HANNITY: Yes.

STRANGE: I'm -- yes, I'm not going to -- you know, it could be Club Lavilla (ph). It could be Spinnaker. But they assured the council that they have people walking the beaches, making sure it's safe, that nothing bad goes on.

HANNITY: Don't you think the parents of this girl being gang raped are going to sue your city? And those seven kids shot, don't you think they're going to sue your city? I would expect that.

STRANGE: I think -- I don't know enough about that. That would be a question for the city attorney.

HANNITY: If it was your daughter or son that was shot or raped, would you sue the city?

STRANGE: I would.

HANNITY: All right, Josie. You've been out there in front of this.  I know you've taken a lot of heat. Maybe people are beginning to get the message. Thank you for being with us.

Now, my next guest has typically not seen eye to eye with Councilwoman Strange or this program. Now, just year, beach club owner Sparky Sparkman lambasted this program over our coverage, stating that, quote, "This would not have been an issue had it not been for Hannity and his -- you know, I call it an assault on the beach. College spring break was basically over when he did that. And he had a mission. He was on a rating-seeking mission, and he took advantage of us and blindsided us. That's my view, and I've been saying that for a long time."

Now, we talked to the owner of his club -- that is Sparky Sparkman -- last night, and this is part two of our interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SPARKY SPARKMAN, OWNER, SPINNAKER CLUB: Are you going to let answer it this time, Mr. Hannity?

HANNITY: Why didn't you do anything?

SPARKMAN: You came because collegiate spring break in 2014. You came after college spring break had ended. You did your thing on the beach...

HANNITY: That's a lie! That's an absolute lie because we weren't -- we weren't filming grandmothers. We were filming kids in bikinis funneling beer, watching cops arrest drug dealers that were selling drugs to kids!  And you went before the council and you went in the media and attacked us!  Now seven kids are shot, 11 sexual assaults, and you're still making your money, aren't you, Sparky!

SPARKMAN: Mr. Hannity, who's lying here? You accused me of lying.  What am I lying about?

HANNITY: I'm just saying we went there and we covered spring break, young kids...

SPARKMAN: What am I lying about, Mr. Hannity?

HANNITY: ... from college on spring break.

SPARKMAN: Come on! What am I lying about? How am I lying?

HANNITY: I'm just...

SPARKMAN: You came in here after collegiate spring break. I made a statement. You came in here after collegiate spring break.

HANNITY: We weren't filming grandmothers! We were filming kids from schools from spring break! How much money do you make a night during the height of spring break?

SPARKMAN: You were filming primarily high school kids. You were filming primarily high school kids.

HANNITY: How much do you make a night from spring break, at the height of spring break?

SPARKMAN: That's none of your business.

HANNITY: Make a lot of money...

(CROSSTALK)

SPARKMAN: ... none of your business.

SPARKMAN: The reason you don't want to tell us is because you make a lot...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: It's a lot of cash money, too. Do you report it all to the IRS?

SPARKMAN: Yes, as these guys that -- ask these guys that are shooting me. I'm sitting here in jeans and I drive a 2003 pickup truck. You think if I made a lot of money, I'd be doing that?

HANNITY: I want to ask you a question. How much do you make a night when these kids -- and do you care that they're getting hammered? Do you care about the sexual assaults? Do you care that your arguments have fallen on deaf ears, and you have a city council that cares more about the money than they do about the kids?

SPARKMAN: So now you're questioning my morality. Is that what you're doing?

HANNITY: I'm saying that if I would have seen that video...

SPARKMAN: You have no right to do that.

HANNITY: ... in 2014, instead of attacking the messenger, I would have gone after the city council and told the city council that they have an obligation to clean this mess up, that these kids are getting wasted, they're buying drugs. There's sexual assaults. There's guns. And there's nothing but trouble on the horizon, like the sheriff said, like one council member said!

SPARKMAN: Mr. Hannity -- Mr. Hannity, how do you know I've not taken that message to the city council?

HANNITY: Don't...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: ... that's a quote from you. "Hannity has a lot of knee- jerking reactions." That's a quote from you. "Hannity basically -- this is -- he's assaulting our beach," whatever the hell that means. Hannity, let's see, that should not be -- "We should not let Hannity be a deterrent" -- all quotes from you there, Sparko.

SPARKMAN: Sparko. That's not my name, Mr. Hannity.

HANNITY: Sparky.

SPARKMAN: That's not...

HANNITY: OK, Sparky.

SPARKMAN: Why are you insulting me? Why are you -- I can -- I can handle the truth, Mr. Hannity. Can you handle the truth? I can handle it.  Can you handle the truth?

HANNITY: I can handle the truth. Let me ask you now -- I'm going to give you an opportunity...

SPARKMAN: OK, well, let's start -- let's start talking about it.  Let's start dealing with it, OK?

HANNITY: I'm ready. Go. I've been waiting all night.

SPARKMAN: I can handle the truth.

HANNITY: What is the truth, that seven kids got shot?

SPARKMAN: That's the truth. It's tragic. I admit it.

HANNITY: Eleven kids...

SPARKMAN: We need to stop it. We need to clean it up.

HANNITY: ... got sexually assaulted, at least those reported?

SPARKMAN: Yes. I mean, that's just despicable. It's horrible. But let's talk about the truth. You accused me of something less than speaking the truth.

HANNITY: OK.

SPARKMAN: That's irresponsible on your part.

HANNITY: So tell me what's true.

SPARKMAN: That's irresponsible.

HANNITY: So tell me, do you want to change the rules...

(CROSSTALK)

SPARKMAN: ... and I'll answer it.

HANNITY: Do you support now -- do you agree that this has gotten so out of hand that even though you're making money from these kids, with all that's happened, do you agree you have an obligation that you should join with me and say enough is enough?  No more sexual assaults, no more hundred-milers, no more gang rapes on the beach in broad daylight, no more shootings that go on. And the only way to stop that is to stop the things that are happening at spring break. Do you agree with that?

SPARKMAN: Mr. Hannity, let me say this about your massive statement there. No segment of our season is worth putting at risk our resident citizens and out visitors on this beach. That's how I feel about it. Does that answer your question sufficiently?

HANNITY: Well, so you're willing to then go to the city council and join me and say that you've got to put an end to this. You've got to put in measures to protect those children if the parents are stupid enough to continue to let them go there.

SPARKMAN: We have to fix the situation, Mr. Hannity. We have to fix it. We have a problem here.

HANNITY: All right.

SPARKMAN: I've never not acknowledged that. We have to fix it.

HANNITY: Well, you said "a lot of knee jerking from Mr. Hannity.  That's a quote. And you said that, you know, "Hannity is assaulting the beach"...

(CROSSTALK)

SPARKMAN: ... in 2014.

HANNITY: OK, and then you said that...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: You said "Don't let Hannity be our death." You said that, too, because you wanted to make the money.

(CROSSTALK)

SPARKMAN: Are you trying to be our death, Mr. Hannity?

HANNITY: All I know is...

SPARKMAN: What is your mission?

HANNITY: ... I don't want kids...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I don't want kids being raped. I don't want kids taking drugs from these hundred-milers.

SPARKMAN: None of us do.

HANNITY: I don't want that happening. I'll tell you what. Next year, I'm going to go down there and I'll see you. I'll meet you in your club. Will you let us film in your club?

SPARKMAN: No, I probably won't do that, but I will meet you.

HANNITY: You problem won't.

SPARKMAN: I will meet you.

HANNITY: Why don't you -- way don't you...

SPARKMAN: I probably won't...

HANNITY: Why don't you let us film in your club? What are you afraid of?

SPARKMAN: You.

HANNITY: You're afraid of me?

SPARKMAN: You. Yes, because you'll misrepresent the truth. You'll misrepresent the truth.

HANNITY: Can you give one example where we've shown tape that was false?

SPARKMAN: I don't have an example...

HANNITY: No, you don't.

SPARKMAN: ... off the top of mind.

HANNITY: No, the truth...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: The film is a powerful truth teller, isn't it. Video is a powerful truth teller.

SPARKMAN: Yes, you're pretty powerful -- you're pretty powerful, too, when you can talk over me and spin this however you want.

HANNITY: Listen, I'm just quoting you, Sparko.

SPARKMAN: Like I said, I can live with the truth.

HANNITY: All right, Sparky. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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