Crowd gathers to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A large crowd gathered to party in San Jose Thursday for Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo celebrations kicked into high gear once the sun went down. People come from all over just to party in San Jose and to handle the extra crowds, police enforced a plan.

"If we can manage the flow of traffic, keep the pedestrians moving, then we can keep the problems from occurring. That's the real big issue," San Jose Police Department spokesperson Lt. Steve Payne said.

This is why managers at Agave Mexican Grill decided to close early.

Jose Tello said it's better to close early and be safe. "That's the most important thing because we are in a spot where anything can happen outside," he said.

Police focused on downtown and east San Jose.

Not only are traffic, gang suppression, metro and k-9 units working, but another 70 from the sheriff's gang task force are helping out.

Roosevelt Park is also off limits as it's been a trouble spot in the past.

Still, it's all about keeping the celebrations.