The Oakland Police Department apologized Tuesday and retracted a community message they acknowledged used “insensitive” language regarding DUI saturation patrols for the upcoming Cinco de Mayo holiday.

“The Oakland Police Department would like to apologize for the recent press release addressing traffic safety enforcement during the Cinco de Mayo holiday,” the department said in a statement. “We acknowledge that the language in the message sent was completely insensitive to the cultural holiday.”

It was unclear how many people had contacted the department about the message, but on social media some groups were clearly not happy.

“Oakland Police has posted on their Twitter account they’re going to put out Extra Patrols for you drunk Mexicans on Cinco de Mayo,” someone wrote on the Facebook page Oakland Latinos United. “How does it feel. As a Mexican Chicano I wonder if OPD will be posting DUI PSAs for every ethnic & culturally based holiday?”

That message came after the department apparently got complaints about a press release it sent out to the community on Monday afternoon.

Below is the original message:

“Community: Cinco de Mayo: Fiesta Time or Jail Time? Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving - ¡Manejar Entonado Es Manejar Borracho!

“In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with festive fiestas and salty margaritas. Historically, the fifth of May commemorates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War, but present-day celebrations often lead to drunk driving—and there’s no victory in that.

“If you are planning to party this Cinco de Mayo, keep this number in mind: nationwide, 343 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes over the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend in 2014. And drunk driving was the cause of 116 (34%) of these fatalities. Furthermore, many of the drivers in those crashes weren’t just a little drunk. Sadly, almost one out of five (17%) of all the drivers in fatal crashes that weekend had blood alcohol concentrations of 0.15% or higher—almost two times the legal limit in every state.

“The Oakland Police Department is continuing its ongoing efforts to stop and arrest impaired drivers, deploying extra officers on DUI saturation patrols May 5 to lower deaths and injuries. The DUI operation will be operational from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. this coming Thursday.

“In the rush of party preparations and getting dressed up for a night out, it’s easy to forget the most important Cinco de Mayo plan of all: designating a sober driver. Some fiesta-goers think they can play it by ear and wait until after the party has started to decide whether they’re ‘okay to drive.’ By this point, it’s too late. Going out for a night of drinking without a plan to get home safely is a recipe for disaster.

“Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. And when you drive drunk, you run the risk of killing yourself or someone else. You will be looking at jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, higher insurance rates, plus other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car or motorcycle towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work. The average DUI costs about $10,000. Wouldn’t you rather pay for a ride home?

“So before your first margarita, cold beer, or shot of tequila this Cinco de Mayo, make sure you have a designated sober driver or arranged another safe way home.

“The California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile app is available for free download on iOS and Android devices. The DDVIP app allows users to ‘Map a Spot’ with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or use “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California.

“Users can stay up-to-date with the latest from DDVIP and see what other users are saying via its social tab. Also through the app, for those who want to imbibe but also make it a point to plan ahead, users can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb - all from one screen.

“Designated sober drivers can use the app to view the profile of the bar they choose and use the ‘Offer’ tab to redeem exclusive deals, with the ability to share the deal with friends on social media. Partnering bars and restaurants throughout the state have volunteered to offer nonalcoholic specialty drinks (’Drinks’), among other perks, to designated sober drivers.

“Recent statistics reveal that 30% of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14%) than did for alcohol (7.3%). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4%, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication - whether prescription or over-the-counter - drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment effects.

“A final statistic to remember: drunk- or drug-impaired driving deaths are 100-percent preventable.

“This enforcement effort is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Drivers, Call 911!’

“For more information, please contact the Traffic Operations Section at 510-238-3155.

“Visit Nixle.com to receive Oakland Police Department alerts, advisories and community messages, or follow OPD on Twitter, @oaklandpoliceca. “

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky