Despite steady rain and chilly temperatures, Madison police made 267 arrests during Saturday's Mifflin Street Block Party.
The number marks a slight increase from 2005 total arrests at the event, even though police estimate the crowd to have been 10,000 people smaller than in 2005.
According to police, the bulk of arrests stemmed from alcohol violations such as underage drinking and holding an open container on the street. Fourteen people were sent to jail, Lt. Anthony Bitterman said.
For many Mifflin Street partygoers, however, police pressure was unreasonable. Gina Reinert, a 19-year-old visiting her brother at the party, said a police officer grabbed her as she walked down the street and demanded her ID. When Reinert, who had not been drinking and was not carrying a drink, told the officer she did not have her ID, he forced her to take a Breathalyzer test. She blew a .00.
They just said, ‘Oh well, you didn't blow anything, but make sure this is a warning not to be drinking down here,'\ Reinert said.
Reinert said her experience was common on Mifflin Street.
""We saw them just randomly ID people who didn't look drunk and weren't holding anything,"" Reinert said. ""It was ridiculous.""
At 7 p.m., when Mifflin Street had been reopened to traffic and the party was clearly fizzling, the majority of those arrested had blood-alcohol levels below .08, signifying the legal definition of toxification in Wisconsin.
UW-Madison graduate Abe Lichy said aggressive policing at the party signified a departure from the relaxed policing of years past. Lichy's band Motu was about to begin a concert at 1:30 p.m. in the backyard of 518 W. Mifflin St. when police intervened.
Lichy said police told him the party was too loud and was attracting too many people. He said police refused to speak to him because he did not live at the house hosting the party. At that point, Lichy said, ""fuck the police"" into a microphone and was arrested for ""inciting a riot.""
After being handcuffed, Lichy was loaded onto a bus and was later taken to a police van. On the van, he said he overheard officers saying they had orders from their superiors to make more arrests. Lichy blew a .00 on the Breathalyzer.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said most police approach the event with the goal of keeping everybody safe. However, he added, police have become increasingly aggressive in recent years.
""In the past, there's kind of been an amnesty for the day,"" Verveer said. ""That feeling has changed in the last few years within the MPD.""
He said special teams of house-party police have been particularly strict in the last two years.
""The current MPD command staff has the feeling that every house party is an illegal tavern,"" Verveer said. ""And this day is no exception.""
Lichy, who now faces a $400 fine for disorderly conduct, said the house-party police ""created more problems than they solved.""
""The cops were really out of control,"" Lichy said. ""They were arresting kids for just being there.""
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