The question, “Where should we go for Halloween weekend?” arose repeatedly as the end of October neared. My friends debated: SLO? SDSU? Celebrating within the campus community seemed logical to me, and as an out-of-state first year student, the prospect of venturing elsewhere for Halloween was new to me.
I soon found out that Isla Vista (I.V.) would become a literal ghost town for the holiday, haunted by the tumultuous tales of past Halloween nights that had descended into chaos. Hearing of noise ordinances and street barricades, I became more interested in the history of Halloweekend and the impact it’s had on the increasing law enforcement and police regulation methods regarding UCSB students celebrating in I.V.
“Free I.V.” Event
Coincidentally, I heard about a group holding an event called “Free I.V.” led by the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at UCSB in collaboration with various other clubs and organizations. In an interview with student Isabella Ferraro, the Cochair of UCSB YDSA, she expressed “the community event aims to build solidarity against over-policing in I.V.”
The event would take place on Saturday, October 21st in Anisq’oyo’ Park from 12pm-5pm and would feature free food, pumpkin painting and pin making, live music, and a discussion panel. Isabella conveyed that their goal is for students to “come together in working against this issue” and to create discussion surrounding the possible alternatives to law enforcement’s recurrent crackdown.
A Brief History
First, Isabella briefly broke down the extensive history, summarizing that since the 60s, I.V.’s conflict between citizens and law enforcement has “ebbed and flowed” in its hostility. Additionally, The Daily Nexus reported a quote from Geoff Green, a UCSB alumni and previous Associated Students president (1993-94), which said, “With this massive influx of authoritative enforcement, Isla Vista felt like a police-occupied state for many I.V. residents and afterwards, there were dozens of complaints of poor treatment by authority and many cases of civil rights abuses by authority.” From riots, to cavalry police, to citations, citizens in I.V. have inevitably felt the over looming presence of police for many years. Visit The Legend of Isla Vista’s Halloween (hercampus.com) for more information!
Long-term Consequences
I asked Isabella her opinion regarding the potential long-term consequences if the issue of “over-policing” during events like Halloween continues to go unaddressed. In reply, she presented data regarding the UCPD budget and the growing use of police force in our community, highlighting the repercussions of expanding police presence. Her statistics, from an article written for The Nation stated, “In 2009–10, the UC spent $75.3 million on the UCPD. By 2019–20, the UCPD budget had nearly doubled to $148.5 million. This increase in UCPD funding has occurred alongside the chronic underfunding of UC Riverside and UC Merced, 50 percent food insecurity among students, insufficient funding for mental health services…” and more. The article’s further analysis claimed, “Alliances between the university and the national security state justify the continued growth of campus policing as part of the military-industrial-academic-complex.”
Isabella questioned the value of this increasing investment, especially during Halloweekend when Isla Vista becomes deserted and funds are consistently allocated to monitor students who are in reality, mostly absent from the city. To address these challenges, YDSA’s Free I.V. event will provide information on the numbers and statistics, the consequences, and the alternatives to policing in I.V. The event is open to the public, and anyone interested in discussing this topic should be sure to get in touch with the group!
Alternatives
Curious to what potential alternative safety measures could be implemented, I asked Isabella what she thought some effective strategies or solutions are to help reduce policing while ensuring public safety. She suggested “reallocating funds that normally go to UCPD and I.V. foot patrol to professional staff equipped and trained to facilitate unarmed response.” This she supported with a report on Policing in the UC. Alternative methods like the one she proposed are meant to strip the fear and hostility out of receiving help and safety.
Broader Scope
YDSA aims to combat policing methods in a general sense too. She brought up that there has been evidence of criticization from students surrounding the intensification and expansion of policing in I.V. in the past. She gave a quote from The Santa Barbara Independent stating, “What promised to be a maddening discussion about changing Isla Vista’s weekend noise curfew from midnight to 10 p.m. did not disappoint on Tuesday night, when about 100 people filled Embarcadero Hall. For two hours, students approached the microphone to criticize three Isla Vista Foot Patrol officials about the proposed ordinance amendment…” Here, the students similarly unified their voices to express their grievances about the community’s use of policing. Ordinances are not limited to Halloween weekend, but with the visible barricades and emptiness on this holiday, law enforcement’s restrictive methods cannot go unnoticed by the students. YDSA, Isabella adds, uses the holiday’s complex history to engage a larger audience in calling for reform.
Awareness
Halloween is a holiday intended for people to wear costumes and gather with their friends; many students thus share a collective frustration with what Isabella describes as an “excessive policing approach.” Her Campus at UCSB has featured the article Policing Halloween in Isla Vista (hercampus.com) for more on policing during Halloween as well. Through student led initiatives and events like Free I.V. held by YDSA and others, we are able to increase discussions and awareness on navigating law enforcement dynamics in Isla Vista.