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Law enforcement officials made 60 arrests at Chilifest over the weekend and said that, overall, this year's event was much tamer than in prior years.
Burleson County Precinct 2 Constable Dennis Gaas, who organizes security for the event, estimated the two-day festival brought between 35,000 and 38,000 people to Snook for live music, chili and beer.
Off-duty police officers worked to keep order at the event along with law enforcement officers from the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Burleson County Sheriff's Office and Constables.
Gaas said security officers inside festival grounds issued about 80 citations Friday and Saturday, although the reports had not been finalized Monday. The highest number of citations ever issued at Chilifest was 130, said Gaas, who has worked with the organizers since 1992. The lowest was 66.
Of the 60 people booked into Burleson County jail, 31 people were arrested for public intoxication, 15 for driving while intoxicated, seven for minors possessing or consuming alcohol, two for warrants, two for making alcohol available to minors, one for failure to identify, one for driving while intoxicated as a minor and one for assault, according to Burleson County Jail Administrator Lt. Mike Dotson
Burleson County Sheriff Dale Stroud said the number of arrests was comparable to past years.
"Our part here in Burleson County went pretty smooth," he said.
DPS troopers made 1,144 traffic stops, according to DPS Corp. Jimmy Morgan. Troopers investigated eight vehicle wrecks, including one that injured a person.
Those wrecks don't include a fatal accident that occurred in south Brazos County around 7 p.m. Saturday.
Twenty-one-year-old Bradley David Abbe died in the wreck while the driver, 22-year-old Sunset resident Kasey Lynn Vanhoose, was arrested on charges of intoxication manslaughter.
Vanhoose told officers he had been at the festival but left around 2 p.m. that day. Morgan said the crash is still under investigation.
"[Vanhoose] had left Chilifest, but he had been some other places before the accident," he said, when asked whether the wreck was related to the festival. "They're still looking into that."
About 60 law enforcement officers worked the festival outside the grounds including 30 DPS troopers and five DPS sergeants. Inside the festival, Gaas said there were 58 off-duty police officers from around the state who worked security.
TABC Sgt. Randy Field said this year's festival went much more smoothly than last year's despite the fact that officers issued more citations than last year.
TABC officers issued 105 citations, including 72 involving underage drinking and 15 for public intoxication. Last year officers issued 65 citations.
Field said 15 agents worked the festival this year.
"Overall from a law enforcement standpoint, it was very smooth. There were really no problems at all," he said.
Editor's Note: The Eagle has produced this map based on information provided by the College Station Police Department. The map does not include all calls for service and the information is preliminary. Data provided by the police department may not accurately reflect the nature of the calls, and the status of reported incidents may change after further investigation. Locations are approximate.
The Bryan Police Department does not provide similar data.
