LA officials propose task force, seek report on safety hazards after teen’s death at rave

Los Angeles officials seek report on rave safety

LOS ANGELES — Two Los Angeles County supervisors planned to introduce a motion Tuesday calling for a task force that would examine safety hazards at rave parties after an event last month led to the death of a teenage girl.

The motion by supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Don Knabe instructs the county health department to convene a team of city officials, police representatives, hospital staff and others to develop recommendations for making raves safer.

Police made 118 arrests, mostly for drug possession, during last month’s two-day Electric Daisy Festival at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which featured carnival rides, light shows and appearances by techno star Moby and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas.

Sasha Rodriguez, 15, collapsed at the event and later died at a hospital after being treated for drug intoxication. The cause of death won’t be known until toxicology tests are completed.

Authorities said there were more than 200 injuries at the June 25-26 event, including some who were hurt as people rushed barriers trying to get in without paying the $75 admission fee. More than 100 people were taken to hospitals.

Coliseum President Barry Sanders announced a few days after the event, which drew some 185,000 people, that he was putting a moratorium on booking future raves at the historic venue.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which oversees the publicly owned venue, called a special meeting for July 16 to discuss extending Sanders’ moratorium.

“While the Coliseum Commission has taken steps to temporarily stop these events from being held on its property, the County must work with other key community stakeholders to look to the larger public health risks posed by raves and other similar events,” the supervisors wrote in their motion.

The motion specified that the proposed task force should develop recommendations that mandate rave promoters and sponsors to consider health and safety issues during their event planning, such as by requiring them to hire private emergency medical staff to remain on site.

The task force is also instructed to consider holding a public information campaign about the potential dangers of rave parties, and to report to the Board of Supervisors with its findings and recommendations within 120 days.