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.