Cinco de Mayo safety, Milwaukee leaders discuss solutions

MILWAUKEE - Community leaders on Milwaukee's south side are taking action now to ensure safety during future Cinco de Mayo festivities.

This past weekend, a Milwaukee police officer was shot while monitoring a celebration near Cesar Chavez and Scott, and a group of people knocked over a vendor's ice cream cart.

Alma Flores, who owns a hair salon on the south side, said she has witnessed speeding, drunk driving and accidents during Cinco de Mayo in years past, too.

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"We all think about people's safety," she said. "I mean, a couple of years ago, they even crashed into my business. And I'm not the only one."

Community leaders gathered on Thursday to address the problem. Crime on what is supposed to be a day of celebration has caused tension in the community.

Officer shot near Cesar Chavez and Scott on May 5, 2024

"It really is my belief that, if we have a county-sponsored Cinco de Mayo event every year, we will be able to control it better," said County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez. "We will be able to move people out of the park when it's time to go.

"Having more events and making the parks more active is what's going to prevent things like this, because we have people that are going to be using the parks."

The efforts are aimed at helping the community feel safe and united.

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"We must continue to build and not allow these incidents and situations to cause frictions or breakdown between us," said community activist Vaun Mayes. 

"We are all working here together in this city, we are all in these neighborhoods, and we all work together in order to make things better and make things happen," Martinez said.

Leaders announced a hotline number on Thursday for street vendors to report incidents – an added effort to keep them safe on the street.