Close to 100,000 people flock to Grant Park on each of three days that make up Chicago's Lollapalooza festival to enjoy music, food, and sunshine. Of course, with this many people, the Chicago Police Department is on guard to ensure that the fun does not get out of hand. This year, 34 individuals were arrested at the festival; 21 of them were charged with felonies.
The majority of arrests during the festival were carried out by undercover officers. They accused most suspects of selling and/or possessing narcotics, which they likely discovered while disguised as interested buyers. David Paris Sherman (23, of TN), for example, was charged with selling about $60 worth of Ecstasy to undercover officers. Others were caught with drugs during security checks as they were entering the festival.
On the whole, these individuals seemed to have intentions to take advantage of the festival atmosphere to use drugs or to sell them to others. They perhaps did not consider, though, that Chicago Police are well aware of the reputation of music festivals as popular events for drug use; of course they would be there, seeking out the issue in order to put it to a stop. Last year's 46 arrests at the festival were a good warning, but this year's numbers show that not everyone has gotten the message. The CPD has made it pretty clear: if you're planning on committing a popular crime at an even more popular festival, you may also want to plan for a sentencing.