A Redditor’s firsthand account of being trailed and bag-checked by undercover cops during Electric Daisy Carnival’s May 17 night ignited a lively thread on r/electricdaisycarnival. Despite coming up clean, their story poked fun at the conspicuousness and questionable effectiveness of these stings.
Festival veterans jumped in with stories of undercover officers aggressively targeting attendees for personal possession infractions, sometimes using fake friendliness as a tactic to catch people off guard. One commenter shared a near-bust experience from last October’s EDC at Basspod, underscoring the high-stress encounters caused by these operatives.
The thread consensus: undercover cops, while a regular sight at EDC, mostly ruffle feathers rather than net major dealers, contributing to a frustrating and warier festival atmosphere.
Contextualizing this, Las Vegas police data shows a significant law enforcement footprint at EDC in recent years:
- In 2024, authorities made 28 felony arrests, 17 misdemeanors, and issued 85 misdemeanor citations during the festival.
- In 2021, there were 34 felony arrests, 6 DUI arrests, and 43 misdemeanor citations reported.
These numbers paint a picture of ongoing tension balancing festival safety with preserving the event’s free-spirited vibe.
Keep following for updates on how these enforcement tactics continue to shape the EDC experience and community conversations.
Source: r/electricdaisycarnival