SnowGlobe 2018 - Police arrests and medical calls down; ABC citations up

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An estimated 20,000 visitors attended the 8th annual SnowGlobe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe which was held over three days, December 29-31, 2018.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) called this year's event the best they’ve had from a violation and enforcement standpoint. They said there were no significant problems or issues of any kind.

Arrests were down over the three days but citations from the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) were up as a result of their increased enforcement at the event. Also down were the number of patients seen by the music festival medical group, RockMed.

Police officers made nine arrests and ABC issued 222 citations.

Saturday - One arrest in 2018 by SLTPD, 13 arrests made on the first day of the festival in 2017. ABC arrested/ticketed 80 individuals on Saturday. Many of the cited individuals received more than on violation and most were issued for "Minors in Possession" followed closely by those having open containers and false identification.

Sunday - SLTPD had three arrests this year (one for trespassing, one 17-year-old female who was drunk and turned over to her parents, and one adult booked for being too drunk), 16 arrests were made on Day 2 in 2017. ABC issued 92 citations.

Monday - SLTPD made five arrests (two for trespassing, one for domestic violence, one resisting arrest and one on a warrant). ABC cited 50 people (36 of those were minors in possession of alcohol).

RockMed, the event’s medical services crew, treated 26 patients at their on-site facility for various issues on Monday. In total, they treated 68 patients which is down from the 170 patients treated in 2017. It is unknown at this time how many were transported to Barton Health and how many seen were drug related.

In 2017, there were eight medical transports from SnowGlobe to Barton Hospital during the three days of the festival. Those seen on site that year were treated in the RockMed tent for drug and alcohol related problems, as well as a couple of people with ankle injuries and exposure to the elements.

Outside of SnowGlobe, SLTPD saw activity but nothing out of the ordinary on New Year's Eve except for the news of the DUI arrest of a man with an assault rifle, two DUIs and one for domestic violence with traumatic injury.

On the vacation home rental side of things, the SLTPD Community Service Officers
responded to 12 calls from December 29 - January 1 with two citations issued, one of which was for operating an unpermitted VHR. During the same period in 2017 there were 42 calls resulting in 12 violations.