Police Chief Noble Wray and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz outlined Wednesday the City of Madison's plan to keep Halloween safe and secure this weekend.
Madison's Halloween celebrations have been marked by rioting and extreme disorderly conduct for the past three years. City officials said they intend to stop the trend. Security planning for this year's event started immediately after last year's Halloween.
The current strategy for Halloween emphasizes a 'manage density plan.' Police intend to restrict access to the 500 and 600 blocks of State Street'an area that has notoriously been the locus of trouble'at the two Frances Street entrances and the Gilman Street entrance. The police plan to keep the crowd moving to prevent potential riots and congestion.
Blockades are set to appear at around 7 p.m. on the Halloween weekend nights.
Other security measures include an improved arrest transportation system, which will shuttle arrested individuals more efficiently than previous years.
Madison police will also have an increased staff patrolling the streets. There will be over 400 officers in charge of security this year. According to Wray, no prior event has ever had more than 400 officers on duty.
A public announcement system will be in place for the event. Three pre-recorded messages are set to play in continuous loop when appropriate. One message will be played to end the event peacefully and asks everyone to leave the street. Another message will be played as an emergency notification in the event that the crowd becomes disruptive. The third message is a severe weather warning.
Wray noted that about 90 percent of those who attend Halloween do so in a peaceful and orderly manner and these changes in security would not affect them. According to Wray, the real problem in Halloween stems from those who intend to cause a disturbance or behave in a disorderly way.
Wray said they will be dealt with 'swiftly and with the full weight of the law.'
'Aggressive behavior surrounding Halloween in recent years is a serious threat to public health and safety,' Fire Chief Debra Amesqua said.
Wray said that the number one priority for Halloween is preventing death, injury, and property damage. A 'success indicator' will be the absence of a forced ending to the event, he said.
'I think this is the right plan by far, and I think this is the most extensive planning ever,' Wray said.
Mayor Cieslewicz said the success of Halloween is 'ultimately in the hands of those who attend it.'
