While students at UC Santa Barbara are preparing for their Halloween festivities, university officials are hoping that one person is left off the guest list: you.
In a letter addressed to college newspapers, university officials warned non-UCSB students about the law-enforcement policies in effect during the Halloween holiday, noting that the majority of people arrested each year are not locals.
For example, residents in UCSB residence halls cannot have overnight guests until Nov. 1 and street parking in Isla Vista will be restricted.
Students can only park on campus with a UCSB permit or a special Halloween permit. Neighboring businesses forbid parking in their lots.
There is also a noise restriction banning live or prerecorded amplified music starting today and lasting until Monday, Nov. 5.
Carolyn Buford, associate dean of students at UCSB, said efforts from the university and the County of Santa Barbara date back 20 years.
“In 1987 we had … something like 40,000 people and a really serious crowd situation,” she said. “Unfortunately, we had some people who went off the cliffs here on the beach and some sexual assaults.”
She said the Isla Vista community no longer hosts up to 40,000 people during Halloween, a number which she said she believes is a misconception.
“We might be more in the range of 10,000 to 15,000 on the weekend and the actual night of Halloween is really just local,” she said.
Over 300 were arrested last year, according to the Daily Nexus, UC Santa Barbara’s newspaper.
Jessica Malek, a second-year global studies student, said before she transferred to UCLA this fall, she attended UCSB and celebrated the holiday on campus last year.
“It was pretty crazy,” she said. “Everyone’s having parties and hanging out and looking at people’s costumes.”
Malek said she believes most students associate the holiday with the campus.
“I think the thing about people coming from other schools, they think they can go to Santa Barbara and go wild and crazy,” she said.
She also said she noticed the police presence in Isla Vista during Halloween.
“(The police) had a huge pile of confiscated props that could be weapons,” she said, adding that she felt safe since she was in a large group.
Malek said university officials also made efforts to warn residents about the potential consequences of breaking the law during Halloween.
“They had meetings and stuff about how to behave,” she said.
Nancy Greenstein, director of police community services for UCPD, said university police from UCLA’s campus will be in Santa Barbara to assist in patrolling Isla Vista and other areas.
The Daily Nexus reported that there will be more than 200 officers during the busiest part of the weekend and the force will also include university police from UC Irvine and UC Riverside.
Buford said officials will have a low tolerance for unlawfulness during the holiday.
“The Santa Barbara district attorney is going to be looking for the highest level of penalties,” she said.
She added that she believes UC Santa Barbara students may not be enthusiastic about the regulations, but they agree that some action is necessary to deter unruly tourists.
“Our students really don’t appreciate … (when) random visitors come, those who aren’t invited by anyone,” she said. “I think that students … would rather not see the level of enforcement, but they share our concern about safety.”
While UCSB officials may welcome officers, they hope other members of the UCLA community choose to stay in Westwood.
“We hope that your students will consider the risks and possible penalties of coming to Isla Vista this year and decide to stay away for their own safety and protection,” Michael D. Young, UCSB’s vice chancellor for student affairs, said in the letter.
But for students who do choose to go to Santa Barbara for Halloween, Malek suggested they be thoughtful about their activities.
“Party safely and stay in a group,” she said. “Have fun, but be smart.”