People out tonight for Cinco de Mayo, but so are JSO DUI units

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s Cinco de Mayo which means people are out -- but so are police DUI units.

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Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to be responsible.

Action News Jax’s Ben Ryan was on the Southside and he spoke to plenty of people who say they have a plan for getting home safely on Friday night.

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Several restaurants were holding special celebrations and packed full of customers.

“We’re coming out to have some fun because we’re off at the same time,” said one restaurant customer.

Jas Sanders and Liz Meyers went out to One Night Taco Stand as the holiday brings tacos, tequila and other alcoholic beverages.

“We’re waiting for more friends. We will probably continue to drink and eat,” Sanders said.

TacoLu, another restaurant hosting the holiday, also saw the same type of business.

For anyone who goes out safety is top of mind. JSO said that DUI units are out tonight.

People that Ryan spoke with say they have a plan to get home safely.

“We plan on sharing an UBER,” said another restaurant patron. “Our fourth guy is coming, will carpool us if we need to but worst case, absolutely would be the way. We’re Ubering, she lives about three blocks from here, we’re gonna go out and tuck ourselves into bed.”

JSO said that they’ve seen nearly a 14 percent increase in DUI arrests compared to this time last year -- 538 arrests so far in 2023 compared to 472 in 2022.

However, traffic deaths across the city are down by about 18 percent compared to last year.

Other people also said that it’s crucial to not only have a plan but to always be aware.

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Law enforcement agencies said there’s always another option to get home safely.

Both owners of Taco Lu and managers of One Night Taco Stand said Cinco De Mayo is the busiest day of the year.

Taco Lu’s owner told Don Nicol told Action News Jax it’s weeks of preparation for the holiday and that they see a significant sales boost as well. When it comes to customers being responsible, he said they try make sure that happens every day, but especially for Cinco De Mayo.