Politics & Government

4/20 Holiday No Holiday for UCSC Police or Administration

Traffic, proximity to an elementary school and driving under the influence are concerns for Santa Cruz police.

For years, April 20 has been a holiday for marijuana users, started decades ago by some Marin County high school students who used to meet at that time of day to smoke weed.

At the University of California, Santa Cruz, the date and time have been adopted for a public demonstration of a purple haze of smokers. Thousands go up to the city on a hill to light up together on the campus fields off High Street (no pun intended).

It has become one of the biggest such gatherings in the country, despite the efforts of  campus administrators to discourage the event.

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"The unwelcome event diminishes UCSC’s reputation and brings unwanted negative attention to the campus," Felicia McGinty, vice chancellor for student affairs, wrote in an email sent to all students.

And putting things in a positive light, she added:

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"This notification is being provided to help you plan for April 20 and make positive choices about your time. UCSC continues to educate students about the risks of alcohol and drug use, provide alternative activities and enforce university policies.

"Ultimately," she went on, "events like 4/20 are shaped by the individual choices and behaviors of community members. I encourage you to engage with your peers, other campus community members and student affairs staff about these issues. We can support you in planning and participating in alternative activities that highlight your accomplishments as scholars and engaged world citizens."

She also referred them to a website that explains the traffic situation for the day (see below).

Deputy Chief Steve Clark said the Santa Cruz Police Department has little to do with enforcement on campus but is prepared to back up the campus police, if necessary. He said his officers are also concerned about party-goers passing through the nearby campus of West Lake Elementary School. 

Officers patrolling the perimeter of campus will look for people driving under the influence or being rude or destructive in the residential neighborhoods on the campus border.

Neighboring Watsonville police

Here are the traffic rules on campus, as sent by UCSC police:

• All inbound traffic at the campus's west entrance will be diverted beginning at 2:15 p.m.
• Metro buses will enter campus through the main entrance only, travel up Coolidge Drive, and loop back to the main entrance via Hagar Drive. Metro buses during this period of time will make only one stop in the campus core, on Hagar between Quarry Plaza and OPERS.
• A reduced number of campus shuttles will be in operation connecting the east and west sides of campus, following the normal "core" route west before turning uphill on Heller Drive, and returning along McLaughlin Drive to the east side of campus. (Disability van service, with the possible exception of delays caused by traffic congestion, will be unaffected by these changes.)
• Campus parking regulations will be strictly enforced.
• Sections of Empire Grade, uphill from the Arboretum, will be designated as a tow-away zone. Extra patrols will be on duty to enforce this restriction, and vehicles will be ticketed and towed at owners' expense.


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