This year’s Cinco de Mayo passed peacefully in Batesville with no holiday-related arrests for public intoxication or disorderly conduct – much different than last year’s May 5.

A year ago this week, cell phone videos of a large brawl in the parking lot of the El’ Mariachi Mexican restaurant circulated across social media platforms. In the video, Batesville Police officers are seen struggling to bring a crowd under control, including the arrests of several individuals on disorderly conduct charges.

Batesville PD took a proactive approach this year, posting on its social media pages that consuming alcohol in parking lots outside restaurants would be prohibited, and any disorderly conduct would be addressed promptly.

“The owner of El’ Mariachi reached out early asking us to work with the restaurant staff to have the best and safest holiday,” said Deputy Chief of Police Barry Thompson. “We made a Facebook post and had extra people out checking parking lots. It worked out very good for the restaurants and everyone was safe.”

Thompson said collaboration between police and business owners is essential to maintaining community order, especially in restaurants where alcohol is served. Last year’s near-brawl, which saw about a dozen people arrested and charged with failure to comply with officers’ orders to leave, was prompted by large groups drinking before going inside.

“People drinking before they enter a restaurant can be a big problem. The restaurant knows what happens inside and police officers know what happens outside, so when we get together it just makes a better situation for everybody,” Thompson said.

Thompson credited El’ Mariachi management for implementing internal guidelines that also helped, including limiting dining parties to 10 people, allowing four drinks per person, and not allowing customers to leave and re-enter the restaurant while dining.

“We want Batesville to be all in can be and that takes everybody working together – police, politicians, and business owners,” Thompson said. “We want our city to be a place where people know they can visit Batesville to eat and shop and know they are going to be safe.”