The puercos are getting ready for that event so Keep Trucha!
News
Posted on Thu, May. 04, 2006email thisprint thisreprint or license this
A wild weekend
By Sean Webby and Linda Goldston
Mercury News
Two people shot after S.J. hip-hop concert
Choices galore for things to do this weekend
Forum: How should cops handle the big crowds?
Post your photos: Going out this weekend? Snap a pic and post it online
Applying lessons learned from this year's Mardi Gras, San Jose police are preparing for big downtown crowds this Cinco de Mayo weekend with lots of cops and a new strategy for celebrations.
Starting Friday evening and lasting through Sunday night, police have a plan to deal with the crowds generated by a convergence of events: the celebration of Mexican heritage, a Sharks playoff game, a home and garden show, and an atmosphere still charged from the huge immigration rallies earlier this week.
``I forecast a busy, busy weekend,'' said Capt. Diane Urban, who heads the city's special operations. ``People are feeling festive, they are feeling empowered. But my party line is that we will have a zero tolerance for anyone who is there to cause trouble.''
About 300 officers -- including members of the gang unit and plain-clothes officers -- will be out in force for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday -- on foot, in patrol cars, on motorcycles, horses and bikes, according to Urban.
And this year, the city will try out a new tactic -- pedestrian diversions. Like its vehicle counterpart, a pedestrian diversion will mean that when the downtown clubs and streets begin to fill up this weekend, police will block off sections of the downtown to foot traffic.
Officers will let clubgoers leave the area. But no one else will be allowed into the most heavily trafficked areas.
The diversions are planned for Fourth, San Fernando, First and St. John streets. Because police will start diverting pedestrians any time they deem it unsafe, clubgoers will either have to arrive early or take their chances.
Why?
During this year's impromptu Mardi Gras celebrations, there were stabbings, smashed car windows and swarming crowds. Police felt that some of the problems were caused by people milling about the downtown streets, unable to get into the packed clubs and unwilling to leave.
``We weren't completely happy with how Mardi Gras went,'' Urban said. ``It gets shoulder to shoulder on those streets, it becomes very unsafe, it becomes aggressive and people feed off each others' negative energy.''
Police tactics downtown have become an issue with the local NAACP, which alleges the department has racially profiled blacks and Latinos since a shooting last fall near a hip-hop club, an accusation police strongly deny. Santa Clara County's civil grand jury is investigating the complaints.
But at least one downtown bar owner praised the new plan.
``The police have a tough job and we have a tough job,'' said Sharon Polk, owner of the Cinebar on San Fernando Street. ``Any idea the police have to keep the peace, to keep an even keel on Cinco de Mayo, is a good idea.''
``We are bombarded with phony IDs and people far too intoxicated to be out drinking,'' Polk said.
And more trouble came from underage out-of-towners who were turned away from the bars and clubs, she said, ``so they have all this time on their hands and start messing things up.''
Assistant Police Chief Tuck Younis stressed that the last few years had brought a string of peaceful city celebrations on May 5.
``We are still aware of the violence that took place several years ago now, and we are prepared with that in mind,'' Younis said.
But the recent stabbings during the immigration rallies and a gang-related homicide on April 10 have police, the gang intelligence unit, the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force and probation officers already working to prevent retaliatory violence between the Norteños and Sureños gang members.
Scott Knies, executive director of the San Jose Downtown Association, said he notified the group's 1,700 members about the busy schedule of events this weekend, but he does not expect any trouble.
``The Cinco de Mayo festival and parade have been very positive, family-oriented events for the last several years,'' he said. ``We're not worried.''
Every year, some downtown businesses decide to close on their own when their streets are blocked off as part of traffic control during parades and festivals, Knies said. Some clubs add extra workers and security when there are big nighttime events.
San Jose's Cinco de Mayo Parade is sponsored by the American G.I. Forum of San Jose and the Mercury News.
Letetia Rodriguez, operations officer of the American G.I. Forum, San Jose Chapter, said the turnout for the Sunday parade and festival could exceed last year's crowd of about 70,000.
``With the great weather we're just getting used to again, we're looking for a really high turnout,'' she said. ``We'll just be there to enjoy the afternoon, the music, the culture and the food.''
Nearby, Santa Clara police are themselves preparing for two events this weekend -- ``anti-illegal alien protest'' rallies in Santa Clara.
``At this point, we're not beefing up our responses,'' said Santa Clara Police Lt. James Buchanan, spokesman for the department. ``We'll have sufficient people already on duty if an issue arises.''
The rallies will be held on Friday and Saturday on the sidewalk between Homestead Road and Benton Street -- from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
``They're planning on peaceful rallies,'' he said
News
Posted on Thu, May. 04, 2006email thisprint thisreprint or license this
A wild weekend
By Sean Webby and Linda Goldston
Mercury News
Two people shot after S.J. hip-hop concert
Choices galore for things to do this weekend
Forum: How should cops handle the big crowds?
Post your photos: Going out this weekend? Snap a pic and post it online
Applying lessons learned from this year's Mardi Gras, San Jose police are preparing for big downtown crowds this Cinco de Mayo weekend with lots of cops and a new strategy for celebrations.
Starting Friday evening and lasting through Sunday night, police have a plan to deal with the crowds generated by a convergence of events: the celebration of Mexican heritage, a Sharks playoff game, a home and garden show, and an atmosphere still charged from the huge immigration rallies earlier this week.
``I forecast a busy, busy weekend,'' said Capt. Diane Urban, who heads the city's special operations. ``People are feeling festive, they are feeling empowered. But my party line is that we will have a zero tolerance for anyone who is there to cause trouble.''
About 300 officers -- including members of the gang unit and plain-clothes officers -- will be out in force for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday -- on foot, in patrol cars, on motorcycles, horses and bikes, according to Urban.
And this year, the city will try out a new tactic -- pedestrian diversions. Like its vehicle counterpart, a pedestrian diversion will mean that when the downtown clubs and streets begin to fill up this weekend, police will block off sections of the downtown to foot traffic.
Officers will let clubgoers leave the area. But no one else will be allowed into the most heavily trafficked areas.
The diversions are planned for Fourth, San Fernando, First and St. John streets. Because police will start diverting pedestrians any time they deem it unsafe, clubgoers will either have to arrive early or take their chances.
Why?
During this year's impromptu Mardi Gras celebrations, there were stabbings, smashed car windows and swarming crowds. Police felt that some of the problems were caused by people milling about the downtown streets, unable to get into the packed clubs and unwilling to leave.
``We weren't completely happy with how Mardi Gras went,'' Urban said. ``It gets shoulder to shoulder on those streets, it becomes very unsafe, it becomes aggressive and people feed off each others' negative energy.''
Police tactics downtown have become an issue with the local NAACP, which alleges the department has racially profiled blacks and Latinos since a shooting last fall near a hip-hop club, an accusation police strongly deny. Santa Clara County's civil grand jury is investigating the complaints.
But at least one downtown bar owner praised the new plan.
``The police have a tough job and we have a tough job,'' said Sharon Polk, owner of the Cinebar on San Fernando Street. ``Any idea the police have to keep the peace, to keep an even keel on Cinco de Mayo, is a good idea.''
``We are bombarded with phony IDs and people far too intoxicated to be out drinking,'' Polk said.
And more trouble came from underage out-of-towners who were turned away from the bars and clubs, she said, ``so they have all this time on their hands and start messing things up.''
Assistant Police Chief Tuck Younis stressed that the last few years had brought a string of peaceful city celebrations on May 5.
``We are still aware of the violence that took place several years ago now, and we are prepared with that in mind,'' Younis said.
But the recent stabbings during the immigration rallies and a gang-related homicide on April 10 have police, the gang intelligence unit, the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force and probation officers already working to prevent retaliatory violence between the Norteños and Sureños gang members.
Scott Knies, executive director of the San Jose Downtown Association, said he notified the group's 1,700 members about the busy schedule of events this weekend, but he does not expect any trouble.
``The Cinco de Mayo festival and parade have been very positive, family-oriented events for the last several years,'' he said. ``We're not worried.''
Every year, some downtown businesses decide to close on their own when their streets are blocked off as part of traffic control during parades and festivals, Knies said. Some clubs add extra workers and security when there are big nighttime events.
San Jose's Cinco de Mayo Parade is sponsored by the American G.I. Forum of San Jose and the Mercury News.
Letetia Rodriguez, operations officer of the American G.I. Forum, San Jose Chapter, said the turnout for the Sunday parade and festival could exceed last year's crowd of about 70,000.
``With the great weather we're just getting used to again, we're looking for a really high turnout,'' she said. ``We'll just be there to enjoy the afternoon, the music, the culture and the food.''
Nearby, Santa Clara police are themselves preparing for two events this weekend -- ``anti-illegal alien protest'' rallies in Santa Clara.
``At this point, we're not beefing up our responses,'' said Santa Clara Police Lt. James Buchanan, spokesman for the department. ``We'll have sufficient people already on duty if an issue arises.''
The rallies will be held on Friday and Saturday on the sidewalk between Homestead Road and Benton Street -- from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
``They're planning on peaceful rallies,'' he said
