Claire Geriak
A crowd filters in and out of a house party to crowd surf, dance with friends, and tune into local music on Feb. 9 in Isla Vista, Calif. Beginning on Feb. 10, house party capacity is capped at 250 people, along with new party regulations enforced by Isla Vista Foot Patrol, with potential for these late-night gigs to be shut down if any new rules are violated.
Recent changes made in regards to the Isla Vista’s noise ordinance will be put into place on Feb. 10, according to the County Board of Supervisors.
The Sheriff’s office applied these changes in order to better help the issues the foot patrol in the area have been experiencing in recent years.
The new regulations include six sections, all listed on the Santa Barbara Sheriff website.
Individuals in Isla Vista can not make others pay in order to attend the event they are hosting and there can not be more than 250 people present without it being considered a music festival. In addition, alcohol may not be sold and can result in an arrest.
Certain times and dates that gatherings are “prohibited” includes Oct. 26 through Nov. 4 of each year as well as the first weekend of UCSB’s spring quarter. The breaking of these rules will result in consequences.
According to the ordinance, police are given the right to end a party if any of the following instances occur:
Assault is committed towards a police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technicians
Any non consensual sexual acts committed upon another person
Assaulting another person with a weapon classified as deadly
Having part in an underage person taking action in something they are not legally allowed to do
Setting or trying to set something on fire
Going against police officers, firefighters, or medics authority
Committed sexual acts that can be interpreted as offensive
Threaten or intimidate someone with a weapon
Alcohol is given to a minor
Other instances that only have to occur once to get a party shut down include the following:
Throwing objects that can cause either injury or damage
People jumping from raised structures
People being on rooftops
Individuals being on the open bluffs
Any party that forces people to pay in order to be allowed entry
Selling alcohol
A party obstructs the public’s right-of-way
If any of these sections are violated, authorities have full rights to take music equipment present at the gathering and keep them as “evidence” up until the court process has been dismissed.
According to the sheriff’s website, “Do not sell tickets for entry to a party, this is a violation of these sections and will result in citation or arrest, and collection of your music equipment. Do not sell or provide alcohol to party goers, do not host a party that is attended by more that two hundred and fifty people, and keep party goers off rooftops and bluffs.”
As long as one does not engage in these acts, the party should be allowed to continue.