Trash, Crime, Closure – Impact of Jeep Weekend Chaos on Businesses

DEBARYLIFE – This week, the Bolivar Peninsula beachfront will welcome thousands of people for what is known as “Jeep Weekend,” an annual event that the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is getting ready for.

Deputies have been preparing since February, according to GCSO Maj. Ray Nolen. He mentioned that last year’s high number of arrests is the reason for the early start to preparations.

Nolen said the agency plans to beef up law enforcement presence in the area and on the beach this year in an effort to reduce crime.

According to Nolen, the event was patrolled by about 15 more Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in addition to 130 officers and deputies from the previous year. With the increase of 20 to 30 DPS troopers, he projects that there will be roughly 145 law enforcement officers on duty this year.

According to GCSO data that ABC13 was able to collect, deputies arrested nearly twice as many people in 2023 as they did in 2019. Additionally, there was a 34% rise in arrests between 2022 and 2023.

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To cut down on tourists, several nearby company owners announced that they will be closed this year. They mentioned the trash and crimes from earlier occasions. Nolen stated they were not given instructions to close by the department.

According to a Tiki Beach bar employee, the decision to close the establishment on Saturday was made in response to several patrons who left without making a payment last year.
Because last year’s guests left the beaches in disarray, the manager of Island Café announced that the restaurant would be closed for the duration of the weekend.
The sole booze store in the town will remain open, an employee stated, though they would not elaborate on why.