Madison’s top police official said in a July 12 letter to the Wisconsin State Journal the Mifflin Street Block Party could be “eliminated” unless it is “drastically” changed.
Most significantly, Madison Police Department Chief Noble Wray wrote police are looking to find a new venue for the block party to spare its costliness to the city and foster a safe environment.
“We can no longer tolerate this large event taking place in a highly populated residential neighborhood,” Wray said in the letter to the State Journal. “It has become too costly and too dangerous.”
Following the 2011 block party’s “disorder, stabbings, robberies, sexual assaults, batteries and property damage,” the Madison Police Department spent more than $195,000 at this year’s party due to the “need for additional resources,” according to Wray.
That’s a $130,000 increase from 2011, when Madison police spent $65,000.
“The Mifflin Street event is now an end-of-the-school-year bash funded by taxpayers,” Wray said in the statement. “[Mifflin] is not a place where we should be spending limited resources in tight economic times.”
According to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, the block party needs “grassroots support” and student planners to facilitate cooperation between various stakeholders for the party to continue.
“It is a realistic nature that two weeks before finals students are going to want to have a celebration on the UW-Madison campus,” Resnick said. “I believe there are options to look at to be able to have an event that will be student-driven and student-focused.”
Finding a suitable site could be a positive solution, Resnick said, but there are many options the city is glossing over, such as a sponsorship or partnership, to make a cost-effective and safe end-of-the-year celebration a reality.
