'Deltopia' party near UC-Santa Barbara sees 500% increase in arrests

The unsanctioned spring party near UC-Santa Barbara known as 'Deltopia' returned this year with an alarming number of arrests and citations. 

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, there was a total of 23 arrests and 151 citations given over the weekend. That is a 400% in citations and 500% in arrests from 2022 where there was only 4 arrests and 34 citations.

There was also an increase in emergency medical calls, which were mostly for alcohol poisoning, according to the release.

The Sheriff's said the crowds were the largest on Saturday and "significantly higher" than the previous year and most of the heavy foot traffic came from people who traveled from outside the Isla Vista area.

The crowd was mainly around the residences along the ocean side of Del Playa and of the party goers calmed down around 6 p.m. thanks to "Outdoor Festival Ordinance" which was put in place for the weekend.