GALVESTON, Texas — One of the charges that Galveston County deputies arrested more than a dozen people for over the weekend on Crystal Beach during the Go Topless Weekend has many asking questions.
The largest number of the 114 arrests made, totaling 65, were alcohol related according to a document released by the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office to 12News Tuesday afternoon along with mugshots of those arrested.
The arrests that had many on social media asking questions were the 19 arrests made for “no seat belt – passenger.”
12News spoke to Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset by phone Wednesday morning to inquire about the seatbelt arrests.
MORE | Scroll to bottom for complete list of charges & arrest numbers
RELATED: 'A miracle,' Beachgoer recovering after having head run over at Go Topless Weekend, mother says
RELATED: Petition started to end 'reckless' Go Topless Weekend in Galveston County after injuries, 68 arrests
The 19 people arrested for seat belt violations were doing things like riding on the hoods and roofs of vehicles as well as sitting in the window frames of vehicle doors according to Sheriff Trochesset.
These people would have been warned multiple times before deputies resorted to making an arrest according to Trochesset.
He told 12News that his deputies were working to help keep people safe noting that a deputy would not normally arrest someone for a seat belt violation the first time they saw them hanging out of a window or on the hood of a vehicle.
Sheriff Trochesset went on to say that he’d rather have to take someone down to the sheriff’s sub-station than to the hospital.
All 19 of the seat belt arrests were passengers and none were drivers according to the data released by the sheriff's office.
One person was arrested for expired license plates according to the document.
The sheriff explained that the person would have been warned multiple times to stop driving around with the expired plates before they were arrested.
At 33 the largest number of arrests were made for “public intoxication," including two who were minors, the document showed.
Another 17 minors were arrested for possessing or consuming alcohol and there were 15 arrests for DUI and DWI.
Of all the arrests only three were for drug possession with one for a less than a gram of a controlled substance and two for less than two grams of marijuana according to the document.
MUGSHOTS: Go Topless Weekend on Crystal Beach results in more than 100 arrests
RELATED: Residents, businesses, beachgoers react to 'tragic' Go Topless Weekend on Bolivar Peninsula
Break down of all charges and arrests...
- Public intoxication -- 33
- No seat belt - passenger -- 19
- Minor consuming alcoholic beve -- 9
- Driving while intoxicated -- 8
- Minor in possession of alcohol -- 8
- Criminal trespass -- 5
- Driving while intoxicated bac -- 3
- Unl carrying weapon -- 3
- Driving under influence (minor -- 2
- Driving while intoxicated 2nd -- 2
- Driving while license invalid -- 2
- Interfer w/public duties -- 2
- Municipal hold - gpd -- 2
- No drivers license -- 2
- Poss marij <2oz -- 2
- Public intoxication - minor -- 2
- Resist arrest search or transp -- 2
- Assault causes bodily injury f -- 1
- Burglary of vehicle -- 1
- Driving w/lic inv w/prev conv/ -- 1
- Evading arrest detention -- 1
- Expired license plates -- 1
- Out of county warrant (bell co -- 1
- Poss cs pg 2 < 1g -- 1
- Unl carry handgun lic holder -- 1
- Unsafe speed -- 1