Isla Vista Residents Credited With Setting Tone For Deltopia

Deltopia 2015 is being called a big success for the Isla Vista community and a disappointment for hard-core partiers and out-of-town visitors.

Turnout for the unsanctioned spring break street party was nearly cut in half.

Some students said this was the year Isla Vista residents took the Deltopia street party back from outsiders.

Associated Students External Vice President for Local Affairs-Cameron Schunk said, “I was really glad to come home and know that my things weren’t going to be broken. I didn’t have to worry about who was going to be at my house. The whole community felt like there was a lot more respect and stewardship.”

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is giving students and residents a lot of the credit for helping to control the chaos.

“I met a group of students who were from out of the area. I asked them if they were having a good time and they said “No, not really. No one is letting us into their parties,’ I though that’s great. That’s exactly what we want,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Representative, Kelly Hoover said.

The Sheriff’s Office said people even thanked law enforcement officers and first responders for keeping them safe.

“When the mounted unit went down Del Playa, everyone was cheering and clapping. Just saying thank you for being here. We’re glad you’re here,” Hoover said.

Preliminary numbers show arrests and citations down slightly.

Fewer people were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.

“Of course, we don’t want anyone transported. But nine as opposed to 50 the year prior. That is significant,” Hoover said.

Schunk and dozens of volunteers handed out 10,000 bottles of water, instead of partying.

“We just tried to act as a buffer between students and police. We knew there was going to be a large amount of police saturation, and so we wanted to counteract that by providing people with an alternative to having to go up and talk to a police officer,” Schunk said.

Schunk believes some day, with proper representation, Deltopia could turn into a festival-type event.

“Eventually, I hope to take ownership of Deltopia and turning it into something the whole community can benefit from. At that point, once there is structure involved, we can say if you want to invite some friends- that’s OK because there is structure and infrastructure to support that many people,” Schunk said.