Partygoers at the Mifflin Street Block Party May 3 will be hearing an unexpected message from the Madison Police Department: Always lock your doors and windows.
Police revealed a plan to use Mifflin as a way to emphasize personal safety precautions at a Downtown Coordinating Committee meeting Thursday. DCC member Jeremy Levin said the committee wanted to see proactive"" efforts made in support of downtown safety.
MPD Lt. Mark Brown said the party would be an ideal opportunity to reach a large number of students living in the downtown area following the homicide of UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann April 2.
""We're going to use that venue basically to start spreading the word to them that you know you've got to get back to basics,"" Brown said.
Police on foot patrol at Mifflin hope to speak to students about simple ways to protect themselves, such as locking doors and windows and exercising common sense. Police discovered signs of forced entry on a door at Zimmermann's West Doty Street residence where she was found dead. Despite the homicide, Brown said many Madison residents are still not locking their doors, leaving them vulnerable to burglaries or other crimes.
""You could probably knock burglaries down 40 percent right off the bat downtown if you just lock your windows and your doors, simple as that,"" Brown said.
DCC member and student Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, said he noticed a change on campus following the Zimmermann homicide and saw an increasing number of students concerned about personal safety and the well-being of others.
""If there's any silver lining to such a terrible tragedy it seems to have at least started a discussion that we've been needing for years,"" Judge said.
As for the party itself, police do not expect Mifflin to be a problematic occasion. Brown said police are contacting residents to alert them of expectations for the gathering and cited the ending of the event at its scheduled 8 p.m. time as a success.
""It was like somebody turned a big power switch off,"" Brown said. ""We thought something was wrong, but they listened and the kids have been very receptive to us down there.
