The Oakland Police has taken down their press release for the Cinco de Mayo and apologized after citizens deemed it culturally insensitive. Previously planned efforts to combat DUI were also cancelled for the celebration.
As reported by SF Gate, the Oakland police posted a public reminder about driving under the influence in line with the Cinco de Mayo celebration. The post was entitled. "Fiesta Time or Jail Time", which included the statistics of accidents on the rode due to drunk driving as well as the numbers of accidents during the previous years of celebrating the event.
The Oakland Police also announced in the press release that they will deploy extra officers from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm and suggested that citizens must order an Uber, Lyft, or Curb to drive them home if a sober driver has not been designated.
However, such statements did not please some as Washington Times reported that the department received half a dozen emails regarding the press release. Spokeswoman Johnna Watson confirmed that the plan to disseminate extra DUI patrols which was to be actualized through the state grant money will no longer be implemented.
According to CBS local, Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo said that the department's press release turned the celebration into a caricature. He also reminded not to generalize all participants in the celebration.
"I don't drink and drive. If you ask the majority of people who are Latino or Mexican-American, we don't drink and drive," Gallo said.
But Federation for American Immigration Reform spokesman Ira Mehlman also had his own perspective as he maintained that the Oakland Police were simply doing their job but also found the cancellation of the extra patrols as an absurdity.
The budget for the previously intended extra Oakland Police DUI patrols would have been taken from the grant by California Office of Traffic Safety of $290,000. The reason for the cancellation of the extra DUI patrols was not revealed.
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