Students, residents and police are gearing up for next Saturday, the date set for the 38th annual Mifflin Street Block Party.
Still, the feeling among many students who live on Mifflin is one of nervousness, not excitement. Residents expressed concerns about an overbearing police presence on Mifflin next weekend.
""Everyone knows I'm the only one [from my home town] that lives on Mifflin,"" UW-Madison sophomore Dean Harden said. ""I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.""
Mifflin residents also said they would look to have smaller house parties with friends of age in order to avoid large police citations. However, UW-Madison fifth year senior Megan Smith lived on Mifflin last year and said her house received a citation. She said because of her experience, she does not plan on hosting a party this year.
Capt. Mary Schauf, central district commander of Madison Police Department, said police do not seek out house parties, but students should be warned of the dangers of inviting strangers into their home.
""Some people are there to rip off what they can,"" Schauf said, adding that robbery is not the worst thing that can happen. ""That event does have a history of assaults.""
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said students and residents could expect very few changes in the way police plan to patrol the street. He said Mifflin is on a slightly smaller scale than Halloween but many of the same police tactics are going to be used.
Schauf said horses will be a new fixture at the block party this year. She said the mounted patrol offers a unique way of crowd control and usually works well with large gatherings.
UW-Madison student Amber Jackson said she is excited for the event, but she understands what the police can potentially do.
""I feel like they're waiting to hand [citations] out,"" Jackson said.
Students will also be warned, according to Schauf, that police will be watching for overcrowded porches and houses on the street. She said because the houses are so old, they put partygoers at even more of a risk.
Verveer, along with Schauf and other members of the MPD, plan to hold a meeting with students and residents next Wednesday to detail their expectations of students, as well as field any questions students may have.
