Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office says it will pursue “zero tolerance” enforcement over Deltopia weekend this year.
Deltopia, a large unsanctioned block party on Isla Vista’s Del Playa Drive, takes place during the first weekend of UC Santa Barbara’s spring quarter. Last year, the Daily Nexus, one of UCSB’s student newspapers, reported that approximately 25,000 people attended. Along with music and crowds of partygoers, the event typically generates hundreds of medical calls as well as citations and arrests from law enforcement.
A Noise Ban and Enforcement Plan
Last month, Santa Barbara County’s Board of Supervisors took steps to cancel Deltopia, passing an ordinance proposed by the Sheriff’s Office. The ordinance creates a 72-hour noise ban over Deltopia weekend across Isla Vista, except in areas with a permitted event. The noise ban also includes the Cove, a gated housing community that rents by-the-bed, located near UCSB’s Sierra Madre Villages. In essence, music that can be heard from a building’s property line is a violation of the ordinance.
Despite this change, the Sheriff’s Office said in a February 17 press release that law enforcement will maintain a heavy presence in Isla Vista this year.
“Alcohol violations, violence, property damage, medical emergencies, and other unlawful or unsafe behavior will result in enforcement action, including citation or arrest,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote.
The Sheriff’s Office also announced that, for the third year running, it would suspend Isla Vista’s Restorative Justice Program. Typically, the program allows first-time offenders of “victimless crimes” to do community service to wipe the citation and fines up to $300 from their record.
Should people try to move Deltopia to another weekend, the Sheriff’s Office wrote, the office would pursue an emergency ordinance to place a 72-hour noise ban on those dates as well.
In nearby Goleta, the City Council has taken steps to restrict parking in neighborhoods near the party. At the February 17 City Council meeting, councilmembers formally approved requiring parking permits for parking in these neighborhoods for the weekend of the event.
An Alternative Event
Isla Vista’s Community Services District (IVCSD) said it is working to put on a safe, permitted festival to help fill the gap that a canceled Deltopia leaves. The community services district has hosted a Spring Festival — an alternative to the unsanctioned party — in previous years. Now, Myah Mashhadialireza, the district’s community programs and engagement director, said, the district is taking on a bigger project, involving locals from different stakeholder groups: business owners, students and other residents, and multiple festival zones.
“Our goal is to create something for locals, by locals to uplift locals,” Mashhadialireza said.
Mashhadialireza said that after the sheriff’s office announced the (then-proposed) noise ban, the community services district heard from students who expressed concerns that the ban would drive partying underground, potentially making it more dangerous. Mashhadialireza said the district also heard from local businesses worried that without the revenue Deltopia produces for them, they would struggle to make it through I.V.’s summer slump.
Law enforcement from the sheriff’s office will still be present at the permitted party. Mashhadialireza said that it will come in the form of two tables with two deputies each at opposite ends of the event area. Approximately 50 security officers hired by the community services district will “roam” the event area. These officers, Mashhadialireza said, are akin to those you’d see at a music festival and are trained in de-escalation and harm reduction.
Music, Mashhadialireza said, will remain a key part of the event with multiple stages for live bands and deejays.
“We know that live music is a central part of the culture of Isla Vista,” she said.
If you want to learn more about IVCSD’s event, or give your input, Mashhadialireza said, you can visit the event’s website.
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