With Halloween weekend approaching, Associated Students Commission on Public Safety (C.O.P.S.) will host a town hall meeting tonight for the public to ask questions about the rules and regulations under enforcement during the holiday.

The meeting will be held in the Isla Vista Theater starting at 6:30 p.m. and will feature university and local law enforcement officials speaking about Halloween preparations and answering questions from I.V. residents. Eva von Thury, C.O.P.S. chair, said the meeting is meant to inform students of changes in parking options and increased presence of law enforcement in I.V. during Halloween weekend.

“The event is about keeping yourself safe and how to not get arrested,” she said.

Students may not know about restrictions – such as the ban on parking on Del Playa Drive from noon Friday until 6 a.m. the following Monday, or the festival ordinance, which does not allow live bands or amplified music to be played after 6 p.m. through 7 a.m. the next morning. Von Thury also said the CHP plans to heavily enforce sobriety checkpoints.

“There seems to be a younger crowd living on Del Playa this year who may not be familiar with the festival ordinance and Halloween on DP,” von Thury said. “We want to make sure everyone has fun and is safe on Halloween.”

Students should ask general law enforcement questions about Halloween and avoid asking personal or specific questions, von Thury said.

“We’re going to remind people to not make any specifics, like, ‘I was arrested last week and I don’t think it’s fair,'” she said. “We’re going cut their mics [if they do].”

Von Thury said last year’s meeting in the smaller I.V. Theater 2 room drew at least 500 people, filling the auditorium to maximum standing capacity. Even with a standing room only crowd, some attendees had to be turned away.

“It was so successful last year and people responded really positively to it,” she said.

Because of the larger venue provided by I.V. Theater 1, von Thury said C.O.P.S. hopes it does not have to turn people away this year.

Free food from Sam’s To Go sandwich shop and Giovanni’s Pizza will be provided after the event, von Thury said.

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