Higher Crime Numbers Reported During Old Spanish Days 2026

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - The Santa Barbara Police Department says more people were arrested, cited and detained during Old Spanish Days this month than it had on the books in 2025.

Overall arrests totaled 199 arrests and 94 people went to the Santa Barbara County Jail. That's 50 arrests more than a year ago.

• 43 were for felony offenses.
• 12 arrests were for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• 1,557 calls for service were made to the police, that is also higher than a year ago.
• Parking citations were up by more than 300 with 1282 citations left on windshields.

The Santa Barbara Police Department was assisted by outside agencies including the San Luis Obispo Police Department, The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, UC Police and Probation.

See the full report here.

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