San Jose officers on Monday defended their option to lower off freeway entry to the town’s downtown for a lot of Cinco de Mayo weekend, saying the transfer was essential to protect security, however others criticized it as “racist” and “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Chatting with the Bay Space Information Group, San Jose police spokesman Ofc. Steven Aponte mentioned that police leaders reached out to Caltrans and the California Freeway Patrol to make requests for freeway off-ramp closures over Cinco de Mayo weekend. The record of closures included northbound and southbound off-ramps from U.S. 101 at 4 completely different exits, in addition to 4 exits from northbound Freeway 87 and one exit in every course from Interstate 280.
The closures had been in impact for enormous stretches of the weekend, beginning at 7 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and lasting till 2 a.m. the next morning on every day.
In an announcement final week, Caltrans cited public security and an “organized Cinco De Mayo march via downtown San Jose” as causes for the closure, a sentiment that Aponte echoed and known as “very frequent” for big occasions.
“I’ve been working right here for eight years. It’s occurred not less than yearly through the eight years I’ve labored right here,” Aponte mentioned.
However Metropolis Councilmember Omar Torres noticed a definite distinction. “Sadly, our neighborhood is feeling focused and as soon as once more ostracized throughout this weekend’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations in downtown San José. That is completely unacceptable,” Torres, who represents downtown San Jose, mentioned in a Fb submit.
In an announcement despatched Monday, police mentioned the division had been utilizing a “proactive” response to large-scale occasions — using site visitors diversions and highway closures to manage crowds, reasonably than responding after an incident — for some 20 years. Nonetheless, the assertion additionally cited “ongoing staffing shortages to the Division” to justify “leveraging the usage of highway closures and different site visitors diversions to restrict additional site visitors congestion and to stop delays in response occasions.”
A Caltrans spokesperson didn't reply to repeated requests for remark about whether or not the freeway off-ramp closures for Cinco de Mayo exceeded what had been accomplished in recent times. On Monday afternoon, Caltrans despatched an announcement saying partly that the division had responded to a request from San Jose police and the CHP and closed “a number of off-ramps as a precaution, for public security and to scale back congestion” within the downtown space.
“Traditionally downtown San Jose sees an inflow of tons of (if not 1000's) of individuals gathering within the native streets, organizing domestically and internet hosting parades and/or marches throughout Cinco de Mayo,” the assertion continued.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, in an announcement, echoed San Jose police in naming different occasions that officers say have prompted related responses from legislation enforcement.
“As they've accomplished in recent times, SJPD, Caltrans and CHP selected to shut a number of freeway exits this weekend over considerations round site visitors security and congestion,” Mahan mentioned within the assertion. “This protocol is constant not solely with previous Cinco de Mayo celebrations, however with different massive gatherings in our metropolis, together with 408 Day, the Turkey Trot, Viva Calle, Veterans Day, and the 4th of July.”
Nonetheless, not like Cinco de Mayo, a lot of these occasions require some highway closures as a part of the occasion. The Turkey Trot requires streets to be shut down for site visitors as a result of runners racing on metropolis streets. Different occasions, like Veterans Day and the 4th of July, embody parades that power highway closures.
Some native and state politicians criticized the measures, calling them “unacceptable” and “racist.”
“Our personal San José Police Division boosted patrols of our downtown core and East San José out worry that celebrations would create a hazard for our residents,” Torres mentioned in his Fb assertion. “Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of satisfaction and heritage and our neighborhood has each proper beneath our First Modification to assemble.”
California State Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, and Assemblymember Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, condemned the off-ramp closures and vowed to research the choice in a joint assertion.
“Regular site visitors controls are one factor,” the pair mentioned within the assertion, “however shutting down main freeway entry on the pretense of worry of multicultural celebrations of Cinco de Mayo is racist focusing on, and blatantly unconstitutional because it violates First Modification rights to freedom of meeting.”
Police mentioned that they made 115 whole arrests throughout vacation operations between Friday and Sunday. Officers additionally impounded 30 autos and seized 6 firearms. Aponte mentioned these numbers had been considerably decrease than earlier than police modified their strategy to massive occasions.
“The previous 5 years (crime statistics) have been trending down particularly as a result of we’ve been engaged on attempting to execute this plan,” Aponte mentioned. “So we’re having much less confrontations, much less crime, much less use of power versus 20 years in the past when it was reactionary.”
Mahan added that with the town’s traffic-related deaths skyrocketing in recent times, the town wants to verify “celebrations don’t flip into tragedies,” and the town loved a “protected and vibrant Cinco de Mayo.
“On the identical time, we have to acknowledge the voices of neighborhood members who had been troubled by these site visitors management measures. We are able to all the time do higher. I've requested Caltrans, SJPD and CHP to work extra pro-actively and nearer with neighborhood members to make sure higher collaboration and communication with the general public for future occasions.”