Law enforcement made more than 200 arrests in Isla Vista over Halloween weekend, according to numbers released this week by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
From Friday through Monday, there were 228 arrests and 230 citations issued, and that number is expected to rise as the Sheriff’s Department’s Records Department receives all records. For now, that number is still less than the 251 arrests that were made last year. Citations also appear to be down, with 488 citations issued last year.
Eighty people were transported to the hospital this year, and 50 of those people were treated in an EMS tent set up by Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services. American Medical Response ambulances were on scene to transport patients to local hospital emergency rooms, and Santa Barbara County Fire also dedicated resources to answer medical calls.
There were 50 Search & Rescue calls, and 36 people received minor first aid assistance from the Medical Reserve Corps. Forty students were assisted home by Student Health Outreach.
“Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue provided nearly two dozen volunteers who responded to medical emergencies in the congested areas on Del Playa and the surrounding streets where vehicles were unable to navigate,” Sheriff’s Department spokesman Drew Sugars said.
Four DUI arrests and 50 citations were issued as well from Santa Barbara and Lompoc police, who assisted the Goleta Traffic Unit on Friday and Saturday nights. That effort was provided by an Avoid the 12 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The California Highway Patrol also increased patrols in the area between Highway 101 and Isla Vista on Friday and Saturday nights.
“During that time, the CHP reported five DUI arrests and 266 citations,” Sugars said.
He said the cost of the event for first responders will take several weeks to calculate.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
