Stagecoach crowds were rowdier in 2019, with Indio police reporting Wednesday that the number of arrests soared by 33% compared to last year.
The spike in arrests ended a two-year streak of crime reductions for the country music festival.
Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron said 142 people were arrested over Stagecoach weekend, up from 106 last year. During the same festival weekend in 2017, 139 people were arrested.
Out of the 142 people arrested this year, 101 were detained for drug or alcohol violations, while 37 were cited for carrying a false ID at the Empire Polo Grounds, Guitron said. There were no arrests for possession of drugs for sale, unlike the five total arrests for the same offense over the two weekends of Coachella earlier in the month.
On top of the 142 arrests, 187 traffic citations were issued over the Stagecoach 2019 festivities -- while only 104 traffic citations were given out over the two weekends of Coachella. While 89 of the Stagecoach citations stemmed from "various motor vehicle violations," 76 were issued for the unlawful use of a disabled person placard.
