Isla Vista Holds a Respectful Deltopia 2019
The weather conspired to bring a significant uptick in numbers at this year’s Deltopia spring-break celebration in Isla Vista, the Sheriff’s Office surmised, noting an estimated attendance of 12,000-15,000 people this past sunny weekend compared to last year’s slightly overcast crowd of 10,000. The many visitors and residents alike were friendly, pleasant, and uninterested in causing issues with police or trashing Isla Vista, and house parties and lawn concerts got quieter by 4 p.m., ending promptly by the 6 p.m. noise curfew.
The Associated Students–sponsored concert featuring electronica artist Troyboi started up Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. and was completed sold out. The Sheriff’s Office attributed the concert to the general peace in the evening. During the weekend, however, 19 people were taken to the hospital. Two had fallen, one off the cliffs, requiring a hospital visit, though neither was seriously injured. The other hospital transports were due to alcohol or drug issues.
Spencer Brandt, president of the Community Services District for Isla Vista, noted that 19 medical assists were a good drop from 25 the year before. The district had Community Service Officer Safety Stations in two locations to give inebriated revelers a safe escort to their homes, Brandt said. His hope was to create a Deltopia that would “change the vibe of the event to something more community-oriented, artsy, and wholesome,” more of a festival than a host-free party.
Over this past weekend, the usual sitting-on-the-curb kids were seen chatting with the police officers; none appeared to be in handcuffs. Altogether, 38 arrests were made and 94 citations issued, the Sheriff’s Office reported. Fewer fences and barricades went up compared to years past, though law enforcement broke up about 10 large parties. The worst incident resulted in the arrest of an 18-year-old man from Corvallis, Oregon, who was jailed on charges of knocking another young man unconscious.
The parties ended with an intense street clean up, with Isla Vista appearing totally litter- and red-cup–free by the next morning.
