BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas – Jeep Weekend on the Bolivar Peninsula in the past was known for its sun, sand, and 4x4s, but also came to be known for chaos, violence, with years of community frustration.
Now, Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen is taking an unprecedented stand to ensure this year’s event doesn’t repeat the same troubled history.
“This year is going to be different than any other year,” said Sheriff Fullen in a public safety announcement. “We’re not going to tolerate misbehavior. We’re not going to tolerate people violating the laws.”
And he means it.
With more than 520 officers from 16 different agencies, more than 30 EMS units, air support through Life Flight, and checkpoints, Galveston County has all hands on deck.
Jeep Weekend, while not officially sanctioned by the county, draws thousands of off-road enthusiasts to the Bolivar Peninsula each May. Unfortunately, the event has also drawn violence.
“We’ve had shootings, we’ve had homicides, sexual assaults, kidnappings,” Fullen bluntly told KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun. “That’s something we’re just not going to tolerate anymore.”
For many Bolivar residents, the weekend represents disruption and danger.
“It’s a nightmare, a total nightmare,” said resident Marcy Vandeventer. “We can’t even go to the store to buy stuff because the stores are closed.”
Her husband, Randy, recalled the year their young son was only a few cars away from a shooting.
The sheriff’s office has introduced a sweeping set of restrictions. The rules apply to the 6.2-mile stretch of beach considered the event’s core.
Restrictions include:
- No beach parking or trailer unloading
- Bans on golf carts, ATVs, and dirt bikes
- No mass gatherings or bonfires
- No glass containers or littering
- 15 mph speed limit
- Stay off the dunes
- Leashed animals only
- Valid driver’s license required to operate vehicles on the beach
“If you don’t want to come here and obey our rules and laws, we have room in the county jail just for you,” Fullen warned.
Traffic will be tightly managed, with designated entrance and exit points (Honeysuckle Drive in, Stingaree Drive out) to maintain order. Checkpoints are in place to screen incoming vehicles for violations, and arrests are already happening before people get deep into the island.
Fullen said Jeep Weekend was a major campaign focus, and this weekend is a test.
“We do have a lot riding on it. My guys and girls have been dealing with this for nearly 17 years. The last five years have gotten really bad,” he said.
The success metrics, he said, are simple: “no loss of life. All my deputies go home safe. All the beachgoers go home safe.”
Despite the cost, which Fullen says will be tallied after the weekend, he emphasized that no expense outweighs public safety.
“I don’t put a price on human life,” he said.
And as for those thinking of bringing trouble?
“If you come in with these big organized groups on our beaches, we’re going to run you off. If you resist, we’re going to put you in jail. It’s just that simple.”
With enforcement already underway and over 50 arrests made before the weekend even began, Fullen’s message is clear: Jeep Weekend will either change or end.
“Come and have fun,” he said. “But follow the rules or don’t come at all.”
