Arrests were down the first weekend of the event compared to last year, but the figures trended up during weekend two of the 2024 festival.
INDIO, CA — The number of arrests made during the second weekend of the 2024 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival were up 40% compared to last year, police said Wednesday.
From Friday morning to Sunday night, the Indio Police Department made a total 112 arrests at the festival, according to department spokesman Ben Guitron. That compares to 80 during the event’s second weekend in 2023.
The number of attendees booked on suspicion of possession of drugs for sales was 41 and for allegedly presenting false identification was 26, Guitron said.
Those arrests ranked highest on the list of bookings.
Additionally, 24 people were arrested for public intoxication, and six people were booked on suspicion of perpetrating property crimes, according to Guitron. There were an additional 15 arrests for other unspecified crimes.
As for the number of citations issued for unauthorized use of handicap placards or parking stalls, there were 47, which represented a 55% decline from the fest’s second weekend last year, when 105 citations were written, Guitron said.
During the first weekend of the festival that ran April 12-14, the number of arrests were down 20% compared to last year’s starting weekend.
The Indio Police Department’s detention and citation figures for the morning of April 12 through the night of April 14 showed a total 81 arrests. That compares to 102 during the event’s first weekend in 2023.
The number of attendees booked on suspicion of public intoxication or being under the influence of controlled substances was 28, which was equal the number taken into custody for alleged possession of drugs for sale, according to police.
Those arrests ranked highest on the list of bookings.
Authorities said that 18 people were arrested for allegedly presenting false identification, and three people were booked on suspicion of perpetrating property crimes. There were an additional four arrests listed as miscellaneous.
As for the number of citations issued for unauthorized use of handicap placards or parking stalls, there were 47, which represented a 43% decline from the fest’s first weekend last year, when 83 citations were written, police said.
None of the parties taken into custody or cited during the two-weekend festival were identified.
There were no serious or violent offenses documented during the event.
