Fiesta Crime Stats

Felonies went up by 67%... from 18 to 30. That is odd, given that other crimes went down.

I saw far fewer people at this year's Fiesta than earlier years. No problem finding a great spot at the Noches de Ronda. Parking was easy downtown, and De la Guerra Plaza had lots of people, but was not packed like earlier years. I was there on Friday and Saturday, too...

Simple lack of attendance drove crime down.

Somehow, a jump in felonies and decline in attendance is not news... guess those pesky facts doesn't fit with the standard narrative... perhaps our media (including the Indy) don't want to impugn Santa Barbara's meal ticket, successful tourism.

Nobody wants to go downtown anymore for Fiesta b/c of a combination of two things: the out of town gang crowd from years past, and the police who have a reputation of arresting you for drunk in public if they don't like how you look.

I'm not sure who's to blame, but either way no locals want to go out for Fiesta anymore......or at all really. Many people around my age are staying in the comfort of their own homes so they don't risk running in to a group of bouncers who want to fight, or a police officer looking to arrest someone.

The net result is that downtown businesses are hurt. I mean police walk through bars on the weekends and have undercovers roaming around that I have heard start fights with patrons then arrest them afterwards.

I haven't been going downtown at all and would prefer to hang around friends whom I trust on the weekends. People have become rude in public in our society anyways. It's kinda sad.

Pardallchewinggumspot is spot on (no pun intended). Statistics are so easy for people to manipulate and almost always incorrectly analyzed. It is highly likely the decrease in crime was a decrease in attendees. Pretty straight forward. However, the Police are in a major battle with the City for pay and of course they're going to spin it this way.

What a bunch of negative nancies on this board. They are not happy unless there is a gang killing or stabbing which is the main jist of the story. Maybe you should re-read it again.

A felony arrest could be for domestic violence or a person had a warrant for a drug charge. I think you both are missing the point of the article when they say there was no major incidents. Like a large fight or where the police have to shot a guy with a gun as I remember from Fiestas in the past. Jeez some people are never happy.... Give the Indy a break will you?

It certainly does suck that there were no assaults with deadly weapons. Santa Barbara must be losing it's edge. SMH

"I mean police walk through bars on the weekends and have undercovers [sic] roaming around that I have heard start fights with patrons then arrest them afterwards [sic]."
--jtevis3

You heard that, eh? Possibly in a bar? On a weekend?

I've heard that Lady Gaga is actually a nun. You heard that same rumor too?

I heard that people make stuff up on the internet... is that true?

You mean the PigFest?

I wouldn't set foot downtown during fiesta.

More pigs than people....and nasty ones from Ventura and Oxnard.

Search lights aimed at your eyes.

This is a Fiesta?

McCaffrey needs to make some charts and graphs of these data.

The only pigs I saw were in my tacos de carnitas.

"I heard that people make stuff up on the internet... is that true?"
--InTheKnow

Of course not. Everything on the innertubes is correct. I heard it in a bar last weekend.

With a half dozen officers on every corner, floodlights on both sides of every block, and tons of marked and unmarked police cars filling the streets, it seemed more like a police state than a celebration on the lower blocks of State St. We went out Friday night and while we enjoyed a nice meal at Dargan's, and were not "contacted" by any LEOs, I can't say it was a joyous experience. The Children's Parade Saturday morning was much more edifying.

Same enforcement as before. If they are going to take credit for the low crime stats this year, then they should also take credit for the high crime rates in previous years. Sounds like someone is trying to score brownie points with the public to get more funding.

Hey AZ2SB sounds like you have it all figured out. Maybe the enforcement is in response to the crime from years past when people can't just get along. Sound like you got brownie on your face.