SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – There just weren’t enough cops to go around on a very busy Halloween night in the city of San Jose.

Frustrated neighbors captured some dramatic video of a large sideshow two blocks from city hall as their calls to police were trumped by other, more pressing calls for help. 

It happened late Saturday night into early Halloween morning at North 6th and St. John Street in Downtown San Jose. 

Scores of people and dozens of cars engaged in a raucous sideshow. Neighbors like Christian Bonner are wondering where the police were.

Christian Bonner and other neighbors called 911 several times as the sideshow went on for hours but police were swamped that night, busy with more urgent calls, said Sgt. Christian Camarillo.

Police have successfully broken up recent sideshows but it takes a concerted effort and there simply weren’t enough officers available that night underscoring the department’s chronic understaffing problems.

The sideshow left its tell-tale burned rubber on this and two other nearby intersections in the mostly residential neighborhood. 

The alcohol-fueled party raged on with the usual games of chicken, people hanging from car windows, and other stunts. 

Bonner was told officers were busy with calls involving weapons.