You will be ticketed if you break the clearly-defined rules of the Mifflin Street Block Party.
That was the message echoed by representatives from the Madison Police and Fire Departments Wednesday night at a meeting meant to allow Mifflin residents and police to voice concerns to one another about Saturday's party.
""Only in Madison do we tell you how to avoid arrests,"" said MPD Sgt. Dave McCaw.
Throughout the meeting, students questioned police on a variety of party issues. Alcohol citations were among their biggest fears. In response, police reiterated the same answer—do not charge for beer, do not allow underage students to drink and know everyone at your party.
McCaw said an underage drinker, if caught, can mean about $1,000 in fines for a house party host. He said the rules are simple--follow them and no citations will be given. He also gave students his cell phone number, instructing them to call him if a situation is getting out of hand.
""Call me, only me and I will come empty your house,"" McCaw said, adding he has no problem being ""the bad guy"" and that a ""grace period"" would be allotted to party throwers only once.
Mifflin resident and UW-Madison junior Meaghan Cayemberg said she is worried about the police presence this weekend. She said the meeting cleared up one thing for her—police are going to be strict.
""I'm going to get owned by police,"" Cayemberg said. ""It doesn't matter if I know every person who's drinking at my house.""
Still, police said only outrageous participants will get arrested Saturday. MPD Capt. Mary Schauf, central district commander, said of the average 10,000 people who attend the event, only about 300 are given citations.
Schauf said party goers can expect to see police starting at about 10 a.m. and varying in numbers throughout the day as the crowd changes. She said next to alcohol citations, noise violations are the second-most common ticket house parties receive.
This year, likemany others in the past, loud music will be put to an end by police at 8 p.m.
During the day, music at parties will be allowed ""a three-house radius."" McCaw said any music heard beyond this invisible realm will be subject to violation—which costs $172. He said warnings are unusual and if party throwers are worried about their music stretching beyond the three house limit, to err on the side of caution.
However, as much as students and residents of Mifflin were concerned about getting ticketed, police said safety was the No. 1 issue facing them this weekend. Ron Schwenn of the MFD said overcrowded houses and porches create a nightmare for the fire department because so many lives are put in danger.
""I'm not your mother. I'm not your father ... I'm just asking you to take care of your own well-being,"" Schwenn said. ""What we want to avoid is the overloading of a house during the block party ... your houses were not made for that.""
Schauf said the block party poses dangers not only to personal safety, but also to personal belongings. She pointed out that the sole purpose of some partygoers is to rip people off, or worse, cause physical harm.
""Victimize me. I'm vulnerable right now, I over-consumed,"" Schauf said mimmicking a partygoer. ""Most of the tragedies we see down [on Mifflin] are preventable.""
