Police Prepare For Cinco De Mayo Crowds, Cruising
DENVER (CBS4)- Police in Denver prepared for the crowds that come with the Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival, along with traditional cruising on Federal Boulevard.
The festival draws thousands to the park after the parade.
May 5 is the day of Mexico's victory against the French during the battle of Puebla in 1862. Celebrations in the Denver metro area will run through the weekend.
Although Civic Center Park will be the focal point of wonderful food, music and celebrations, law enforcement will focus on Federal Boulevard, traditionally the biggest source of congestion.
For the second year, officers are using grant money to step up enforcement. Police told CBS4 they've got a plan for cruising along the stretch of Federal Boulevard but will focus on street racing.
Last year during Cinco de Mayo, officers handed out 102 citations along Federal Boulevard that included speeding and DUIs.
If cruising gets out of hand, police have a plan to completely divert traffic off of Federal.
Officers said their main goal this weekend is to make sure everyone stays safe, "We're looking for things like speeding, driving under the influence, things like street racing, hanging out of vehicles with passengers, careless, reckless driving. We're going to be enforcing those types of violations very strictly."
The Cinco de Mayo Parade kicks off at Colfax and Welton at 10 a.m. on Saturday and the Cinco de Mayo Festival continues at Civic Center Park both Saturday and Sunday.
