Pubdate: Mon, 04 Jun 2001
Source: Galveston County Daily News (TX)
Copyright: 2001 Galveston Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.galvnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/164
Author: Ted Streuli
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raves.htm (Raves)

84 ARRESTED AT CRYSTAL BEACH RAVE

CRYSTAL BEACH - A rave party rife with drug use resulted in 84 
arrests, two stabbings, and an assault at Crystal Beach between 8 
p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.

Galveston Sheriff's Department Capt. Henry Trochesset said thousands 
of people, most of them under age 25, descended on the widest stretch 
of Crystal Beach on Saturday evening.

Law enforcement officers from the sheriff's office, Narcotics Task 
Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Auto Crimes Task Force and 
Department of Public Safety were on hand to control the party. Both 
the DEA and DPS had helicopters on the scene.

Trochesset said raves have occurred at Crystal Beach about twice per 
year since 1997, usually once in the summer and once in the fall. 
Most previous raves at the beach have resulted in few arrests because 
law enforcement agencies have no way to know they're coming and find 
themselves inadequately staffed. Trochesset said a rave in October 
2000 resulted in about 50 arrests when the sheriff's department 
learned of plans for the event approximately 10 days in advance.

This time, he said, they had more warning.

"We got wind of it about a month ago on the Internet," said 
Trochesset. "We haven't been aware of them in advance, so we only had 
a handful of officers working the area. We started checking the Web 
sites regularly. Knowing when they usually occur, we started checking 
about a month and a half ago."

Because the beach is open to the public 24 hours per day, deputies 
have no way to restrict the number of visitors.

Trochesset said all 26 sheriff's department employees who worked the 
event were on overtime. Unlike more formal events where promoters are 
required to pay for security, the cost of law enforcement at the rave 
was borne by taxpayers.

Billed as Love Fest 2001, the loosely organized event drew so many 
people the line to board the Bolivar ferry stretched from the 
terminal to the seawall as late as 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Trochesset said three of the 84 arrests involved juveniles, and that 
the charges ranged from misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct and 
public intoxication to felonies for assault and possession of 
controlled substances.

The party featured 10 disc jockeys and the crowd filled the width of 
the beach for as much as a mile at its peak.

Trochesset said drug use at the event, including marijuana, cocaine 
and Ecstasy, was high but alcohol use was low.

"It's not a moderate drug use," he said. "Besides listening to that 
music, what other reason is there to do down there? There is some 
alcohol, but not much."

Trochesset said partygoers sometimes use surgical masks filled with 
inhalants and favor pacifiers because some of the popular drugs cause 
users to grind their teeth.

The only stabbing victim at UTMB on Sunday night was a 24-year old 
man who was reported to be in good condition.
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