By Khalida Sarwari
San Jose police are boosting patrols for the Mardi Gras celebration in downtown this evening.
Police Officer Jose Garcia said revelers should expect to see extra officers patrolling what’s known as the “entertainment zone,” an area with a high concentration of restaurants and bars.
There are no planned street closures or pedestrian diversions as long as people celebrate responsibly, Garcia said.
“We’re basically going to let people go and enjoy themselves and if their actions warrant a closure or a diversion, then at that point we would consider that,” he said.
The Mardi Gras celebration in San Jose is not an organized event, but is known to draw rowdy crowds, although in the past few years, the troublemakers have tended to be the minority.
In 2011 and 2010, police arrested 26 people, slightly higher than in 2009 when 18 people were arrested, but still significantly less compared to the 40 arrests in 2008.
The arrests have been mainly related to fights and vandalism.
Garcia attributed the drop in arrests on Fat Tuesday to the implementation of a more proactive enforcement approach by the Police Department.
“The minute we see problems we take action,” he said.
