Residents Around Federal Boulevard Worried About Street Racing Cinco De Mayo Weekend
DENVER (CBS4) - Cinco de Mayo festivities are underway in Denver and police are hoping participants will stay out of trouble.
Last year police in Denver issued 102 citations over the Cinco de Mayo weekend. That's much lower than the 672 issued in 2009.
There was a heavy police presence on Federal Boulevard Saturday night. It was all designed to keep the crowds under control. But there was concern that the parade of fancy cars might spill over to the neighborhoods and street racing might disturb the peace, especially Sunday night.
Charlie Schmalz lives one block off Federal on Elliot Street.
"Yeah, doing brake stands, burn outs … just complete obnoxious," he said.
In the run-up to Cinco de Mayo Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn said street racing is one of the biggest complaints he hears about in southwest Denver.
"It's on the street behind us and it's on the street behind me. And that's dangerous and I want to ask people, respect your neighborhoods, take it to Bandimere (Speedway) if you want to race," Flynn said.
District 4 Police Cmdr. Mark Fleecs is well aware of the problems.
"Certainly with the noise issues and honking of horns and those celebratory types of things, that's something we're going to be paying attention to," Fleecs said.
But Schmalz was most worried about cars racing two and three across on his residential street.
"I've seen them do 45, 50," Schmalz said.
That's why he doesn't park his car on the street.
"I would just hope they have enough decency and respect for their other citizens in the neighborhood they're driving through," he said.
The police said on Thursday they were prepared to place barricades to keep the cars and street racers from invading the neighborhoods.