A staff opinion void of criticism is rare, but sometimes praise is due. The men and women of the Madison Police Department deserve a pat on the back for a terrific job on Mifflin Street this weekend.
It can go without saying that the party on Saturday was basically flawless. Any gathering accompanied by huge amounts of alcohol can have dire circumstances. One only has to think back to Halloween to recall how destructive a drunken crowd could be. This party, however, lacked tear gas and riots.
Maybe it was the combination of a gorgeous day and a calm police force, but something kept the positive vibes running throughout the day. Despite the potentials for problems, all sides behaved properly and the party ended up the way it was supposed to be: a fun and safe Saturday for everyone.
The police were visible, which kept the typically unruly person placid. But the cops did little else than attempt to herd kids off the street and onto the sidewalk. When they needed to do their job, no one got in their way. No one interfered when the police smoothly handled the one injury of the day. So, praise also goes out to the partiers on Mifflin for keeping the peace.
In short, good job this weekend.
The cops, the new mayor and the kids showed the skeptics that Madison can still throw one hell of a party without altercations.
