The return of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival after a two-year hiatus came with an decrease in arrest numbers, authorities said Monday.
According to statistics released by the Indio Police Department, there was a 12% decrease in arrests and a 66% decrease in citations compared to 2019’s Stagecoach Country Music Festival. The festival was cancelled the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Police reported a total of 125 arrests this past weekend, the majority for public intoxication, and 64 for alleged use of false identification. A total of 63 citations were issued, mostly for unlawful use of a handicap-parking placard.
No major concert-related criminal activity was reported by police.
The music festival’s decrease in criminal activity compared to pre-pandemic events was in contrast to the recent Coachella Music & Arts Festival — which saw a 13% increase in arrests and a 41% increase in citations in its first weekend, compared to 2019.
Stagecoach will be repeated next weekend, beginning Friday.
Indio police urged anyone who sees suspicious activity to contact the Coachella Valley Crime Stoppers line at 760-341-STOP (7867) or call 911 in emergencies.