Deltopia-related problems decline in recent years
Before there was Deltopia there was Floatopia, but the annual beach party came to end after crowds trashed the surf and sand.
By 2010 the party on the first Saturday after Spring Break had moved onto Del Playa Drive.
A Deltopia Facebook page helped spread the word and soon there were more than 20,000 people converging on Isla Vista by the University of California, Santa Barbara campus.
Violence erupted in 2014 leading to a spike in arrests, citations and medical transports.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has reported a drastic reduction in all three since then.
Officers cited 190 people in 2014 compared to 56 in 2018.
They arrested 130 people in 2014 compared to 25 in 2018.
Medical transports dropped from 50 in 2014 to 25.
Officers credit parking restrictions and a noise ordinance with reducing problems off campus.
UCSB students have helped too, by creating The Warm Up concert at the Thunderdome.
TroyBoi and a special guest will perform at 7:30 on Saturday night. Students can buy $5 tickets online.
Sophomore Lily Kopp said, “In the daytime it will be nice to be outside, but I think at night it will be really fun to be on campus and be inside at the concert.”
UCSB Senior Micah Flamm has seen Deltopia change for the better.
“It is going to be a fun time this year, I think,” Flamm said.
The Isla Vista Foot Patrol will be wearing new body cams and carring a Narcan nasal spray to prevent opioid overdoses.
Sgt. Daniel Calderon said, “What we are really focused on is having the appropriate amount of deputies for the appropriate amount of people and if we have too many deputies then we will be sending a lot of them home.”
The Isla Vista Community Service District President is optimistic students will party responsibly.
“I think that Deltopia is a time to kick off the spring in Isla Vista and done correctly and done right it can be a really safe event,” said Spencer Brandt.
