Santa Barbara County public safety officials say the number of arrests and citations from spring break parties in Isla Vista dropped significantly this year.
Officials credit a combination of alternative activities for students and increased enforcement.
There was a lot of concern about the potential for a major event commonly called Deltopia in Isla Vista last weekend. It's a series of large unsanctioned, unsponsored street parties.
Past spring breaks have resulted in hundreds of citations and arrests and a significant spike in emergency medical calls.
This year, the Isla Vista Community Services District sponsored an alternative daytime event, and UCSB students had a nighttime concert.
The county also enacted new amplified music restrictions to limit street parties.
"Last year, we had 485 people cited, and 84 arrested," said Lt. Joe Schmidt, commander of the Isla Vista Foot Patrol, which handles law enforcement duties for Isla Vista. "This last weekend, we had 42 citations and six arrests, a 92% decrease."
Based on this year’s results, the officials are hoping to reduce the number of deputies working overtime to help deal with future spring break concerns.
