Public drunkenness in Madison parks has become such a problem that city officials are now considering a move to ban all alcohol in municipal parks.
The city's Board of Park Commissioners considered the issue Wednesday and, though member William Barker said a ban is unlikely, he added that alcohol-related rowdiness has become a problem.
Barker said problems stemming from drunken parkgoers occur ""every day, every year,"" and pointed in particular to a group of ""chronic, serious alcoholics"" in Vilas Park as a source of trouble.
However, Barker noted, Badger football tailgating and recreational softball games make banning booze impractical.
""We're probably not going to do anything as sweeping and ill-advised as saying, ‘nope, no more alcohol,'"" Barker said.
The city will consider various measures to curb unruly drinking in coming weeks, with the hopes of restoring order to Madison parks.
