The school year has been off and running now for a few weeks and already it’s time for Halloween! Ahhh, nothing says Halloween like funny costumes, candy, black cats and, according to Albertsons and Wal-Mart, Christmas decorations? I guess a Christmas tree is going to be the “it” costume this year. Sexy nurse, sexy cop and pimp may be retro and old school, but I’ve always been a fan of the oldies.
This Halloween, like every Halloween, there are always a lot of questions about what the police and sheriffs are doing. Rumors run rampant and it’s amazing some of the stories people think are true. No, the military is not instituting martial law. No, the 101 freeway is not being shut down. No, Obama is not showing up dressed as George W. Bush. Well, I’m not so sure about the last one…
Q: I want to have a party for Halloween. Are they allowed in Isla Vista on Halloween?
A: There is a lot of confusion on what the rules are for Halloween. Yes, parties are legal; however the music ordinance is much stricter. Per the Santa Barbara County Ordinance 6-70.01, between Oct. 26 and Nov. 4, the music ordinance starts at 6 p.m. and goes to 7 a.m., instead of the usual 10 p.m., or 12 a.m. on weekends. This doesn’t mean you can’t have friends over or even have the stereo on. However, to prevent a violation of this ordinance, you need to make sure the music can’t be heard outside of your apartment.
Q: Are they shutting down all of Isla Vista? Can my friends drive into town?
A: All of Isla Vista is not being shut down. On the nights where there are a lot people walking around, particularly Friday and Saturday night, most of Del Playa and Sabado Tarde will be closed to cars, but people can still get through on foot. The rest of Isla Vista will be open to vehicle traffic unless it gets so congested with cars that traffic may be rerouted to keep the traffic moving.
Everyone should be prepared that there will be a ton of cars coming into town, and it could take hours to drive into Isla Vista if traffic backs up the roads. Also parking is already limited on normal weekends, so don’t expect to find any Halloween weekend. Many of the Goleta businesses, as well as UCSB, will be actively issuing parking tickets and towing illegally parked cars. So unless your friends are coming in by zeppelin, they have about as good of a chance getting a parking spot as finding a High School Musical-themed frat party.
Regardless of the costumes you choose this year, I hope you all have a safe Halloween. If you choose to spend it in Isla Vista, take extra precautions. Go with friends, stay sober and keep an eye out for each other. There will be hundreds of cops and emergency services out there, but the goal is to keep you from needing us.
Be careful this Halloween and don’t hesitate to give a friendly “Hi!” to the cops, or “Merry Christmas!” if you bought your costume at Albertsons. In the meantime, if you have questions about Halloween, do not hesitate to call either the Isla Vista Foot Patrol at 681-4179, or the UCSB Police Department at 893-3446. You can also e-mail me, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great Halloween and I’ll see you out there.
Got caught by a cop? Your party popped by the Po-Po? Ticked by a ticket? If you have questions, don’t let it eat away at you, Question Authority! E-mail me anytime at: QA@police.ucsb.edu or call UCSB PD at 893-3446.
