More than 230 people are being charged after a Texas Jeep party turned into chaos and dozens of people were rushed to hospital.
Galveston’s Jeep Weekend is also known as “Go Topless Weekend,” an annual beach party expected to draw 10,000 people to Crystal Beach.
The event was originally conceived as a way for Jeep enthusiasts to show off their vehicles, but in recent years it has morphed into an alcohol-fuelled tribute to all off-road vehicles.
Galveston County Emergency Services and other state and county authorities months of planning for this weekend’s festival, which draws a large number of visitors from across the region to the Bolivar Peninsula.
“This event is usually very taxing on our resources,” Major Ray Nolen of the county sheriff’s office said Sunday.
This weekend was the ‘Go Topless’ Jeep party near Galveston, Texas, and it was expected to draw 10,000 people
During the event, more than 230 people were arrested on charges of drunkenness and disorderly conduct
This year’s event also hospitalized 40 people
The weekend has become as busy as a police holiday, according to the police Galveston County daily news.
At least 120 officers were deployed for the four-day event, Nolen said.
More than 200 charges were filed on Sunday alone, mostly felonies KTRK.
About 40 people were hospitalized “for various minor injuries and illnesses,” Nolen added.
The number of arrests rose from last year, when 175 arrests were made and 198 charges were filed.
On the positive side, the number of injuries and hospitalizations was below 60 compared to last year’s event.
But Jeep enthusiasts insist the festival is being tarnished by other groups who take the opportunity to misbehave and annoy residents who complain that the beaches are littered with trash.
Local police have often said the opening is as busy as a holiday with 120 officers assigned to the event
The event started as a Jeep party, but has grown into a party and booze party
More than 200 charges, mostly felonies, were filed by police on Sunday alone
The number of arrests has risen from 175 during the 2022 arrest, when 198 charges were filed
The event has become so wild that official Jeep clubs are pulling out of it and holding separate events, with many locals voicing disdain for the whole gathering.
“I don’t think anyone who lives here particularly likes Jeep Weekend,” said Anne Willis, president of the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce ahead of this edition of the event.
‘I find it annoying. It’s not so much about the event, but about the people riding along who don’t have Jeeps.’
At last year’s event, a deputy broke both his legs and an arm after being hit by a car while directing traffic.
Jeep enthusiasts insist the festival is being encroached on by other groups taking the opportunity to misbehave and annoy residents who complain that the beaches are littered with rubbish
The event has become so wild that official Jeep clubs are pulling out of it and holding separate events, with many locals voicing disdain for the whole gathering.
“I don’t think anyone who lives here really likes Jeep Weekend,” said Anne Willis, president of the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce ahead of this edition of the event.
Some are still here for the cars on Jeep Weekend in Galveston County
Some political messages were displayed during the event
There was a death at Jeep Weekend in both 2019 and 2021.
“We’re just trying to maintain order and keep everyone safe,” Nolen said.
The Texas Open Beaches Act allows free public use of the beach and there is no way to limit the number of people, with the only remedy being a greater police presence, Sheriff Trochesset explained.
Similar “Go Topless” events are hosted by motorists across the country, and the name comes from the Jeep Wrangler’s removable roof.