Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
'Deltopia' street party in Santa Barbara much calmer this year after 2014 riot
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office deputies approach a group of young people during the Deltopia spring break party in the Isla Vista neighborhood of Santa Barbara on Saturday, April 4, 2015.
(
Santa Barbara County Fire Department
)
An annual spring break street party in Santa Barbara that last year erupted into a riot, was much quieter on Saturday, with fewer people in attendance, police said.
"There were no major incidents related to the unsanctioned spring break street party in Isla Vista known as Deltopia," the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office stated in a press release.
Attendance at the party peaked in the afternoon at approximately 10,000 people and dwindled to about 500 by 9:30 p.m., dramatically lower than the 20,000 to 25,000 people who attended last year and 15,000 to 18,000 people in 2013, the sheriff's office said.
One of the factors cited as a factor in the out-of-control scene that erupted last year was the influx of out-of-town young people who descended on Isla Vista for the party. Officials said the number of nonresidents attending the party this year was down considerably.
Support for LAist comes from
"The Sheriff’s Office wants to thank the students in Isla Vista who made a conscientious effort not to invite out-of-towners to the event, and who made a point not to open their doors to people they did not know," the sheriff's statement said. "We would also like to thank the University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College and the Isla Vista Safe coalition for its campaigns to encourage students to keep the event local."
Law enforcement was increased this year as well, with UCSB providing more than 100 police officers from UC campuses, in addition to sheriff’s deputies and police officers provided by the city of Santa Barbara and neighboring police departments in Lompoc, Santa Maria and Santa Monica, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Ventura County Search and Rescue Teams, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, Alcohol Beverage Control and several other allied agencies.
"The festival ordinance which prohibited music after 6 p.m. and the restricted parking on the part of the city of Goleta, UCSB and the sheriff’s office were instrumental in limiting the crowd size," the sheriff's statement said.
Due to the increased law enforcement presence, however, arrests and citations remained high, the sheriff said.
Police made 102 arrests and issued 140 citations, compared to 130 arrests and 190 citations in 2014. Nine people were transported to hospitals, compared to 50 last year.
Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Dave Zaniboni said paramedics responded to 26 calls, mostly for alcohol-related medical emergencies.
"It was a relatively quiet night in Isla Vista for as many people who were out there," Zaniboni said.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
-
Hexavalent chromium is the same carcinogen Erin Brockovich warned about in the 1990s, but researchers say more study is needed on the potential health effects of nanoparticles detected earlier this year. Experts will answer questions at a webinar this evening.
Best of LAist