Isla Vista board seeks after-action review after Deltopia safety report cites 911 nonresponse, heavy policing at recovery sites

The Isla Vista Community Services District on May 20 voted to request a written after-action review and to convene a meeting with the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office, county public health/EMS, the county fire department and UC Santa Barbara after staff reported problems coordinating emergency response and law enforcement during the spring Deltopia festival.

The motion, made by Director Toplitz and seconded by Director Daschler, passed unanimously. The board asked staff to include the reported 911 nonresponse to on-site EMTs and the documented presence of officers writing citations at festival wellness tents and the recovery center in the outreach.

The request followed a presentation by a district staff member who ran the Deltopia safety operation. The staff member told the board the festival drew about 6,000 people and described a range of harm-reduction measures the district and partners provided, including two wellness checkpoints, two safety stations, a recovery center run in partnership with Good Samaritan, 24 portable restrooms placed across Isla Vista, distribution of drug-testing strips and Narcan, and temporary traffic controls.

"We distributed over 700 bagels" and distributed thousands of water cans, the staff member said while detailing the festivals logistics. The presentation reported: 100 people were served at the wellness checkpoints (two of those initially reported as requiring ambulance care), 14 people received ongoing vital-sign monitoring at the recovery center and about 40 used the recovery center as a nonmedical safe space. The presenter also said three people in total were transported by ambulance from festival sites. Safety stations and outreach volunteers served thousands of attendees, and vendors reported high sales.

Board members and members of the public pressed the presenter on two operational concerns: (1) a report that 911 dispatchers would not send additional emergency responders unless a law enforcement officer was also present, and (2) multiple instances of law enforcement officers writing citations at or immediately adjacent to wellness checkpoints and the recovery center.

"I'm deeply troubled and speechless," said Director Freeman after the presenter described a case in which on-site EMT staff texted 911 for help and were told dispatch would not respond unless a law enforcement officer accompanied the request. The presenter said an EMT supervisor had to connect an officer with the patient before a 911 unit arrived. Director Hobart asked whether officers had sought to issue citations before arranging ambulance transport; the presenter said in the cited case the response escalated once enforcement was involved.

Several speakers said the visible presence of officers near wellness tents and the recovery center discouraged festival attendees from seeking care. The presenter said vendors told staff they saw "more people arrested that day than theyve seen in their entire life," and that using wellness tents as locations for citation-writing had a chilling effect on people trying to use harm-reduction services.

Board members pressed for better integration among medical teams, harm-reduction providers and enforcement, and the presenter recommended earlier and more regular fall planning meetings with service providers and agencies to improve coordination. "One of the biggest improvements that I want to draw our awareness to for 2026 is the hope to integrate the medical and enforcement teams with harm reduction and safety resources," the presenter said.

Public commenters and board members added context about out-of-town attendees and media attention. A public commenter who identified herself as a community volunteer urged starting education earlier on campus so new students learn safety norms before arrival. Another commenter called for improved UC Santa Barbara outreach to nonstudent residents when emergencies occur.

The boards motion asks staff to reach out in writing and by meeting to the sheriffs office, county public health/EMS, county fire and UC Santa Barbara to memorialize and address concerns raised in the report, including the 911 dispatch issue. The motion directs staff to include the 911 incident in the outreach. Staff said they would handle the outreach without returning a formal letter to the board for approval unless the board requested it.

The presenter said the festivals harm-reduction setup appeared to reduce acute medical burdens: staff reported two people initially required ambulance care from the wellness checkpoints, and the recovery center provided continuous monitoring for 14 people while 40 used the space as a safe place to recover or charge phones. The presenter also said the festival ran large public-education and social-media campaigns and that several elements (sidewalk murals, a central stage, and breakfast outreach) appeared successful at improving safety and on-site behavior.

Board members and staff identified follow-ups: obtain the 911/EMS text thread from on-site supervisors; ask the sheriffs office to explain citation practices near harm-reduction sites; and explore earlier, formal coordination meetings with incoming or out-of-area law enforcement before future large-event weekends.

The board did not take disciplinary action; it voted to request written responses and an after-action meeting. Staff will report back with the requested communications and any responses from the sheriffs office, county health/EMS and UCSB.