‘Uneventful’ Halloween in Isla Vista

A COVID clampdown put Isla Vista in suspended animation this Halloween. The college town, usually boisterous on the waning day of October, was instead very quiet, few parties were held, and people merely dined out in costume instead of thronging the streets by the thousands as in years past. Police from multiple agencies seemed to outnumber students, some said.

Sheriff Bill Brown termed Halloween in Isla Vista “uneventful” this year. The crime stats bore him out. From October 30 to November 1, two people were arrested for public intoxication and DUI, and 20 citations were issued, mostly for alcohol violations. Comparatively, in 2019, six arrests were made and 44 citations given October 25-31, primarily for violations of the noise ordinance and alcohol.