Police did not arrest anyone at this year’s Mifflin Street Block Party and issued seven citations, which is several hundred fewer than last year, according to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain.
Seven citations is a drastic decrease compared to the 545 individuals police cited in 2012. MPD Lt. Dave McCaw attributed the drop to the “black-and-white” message from both the department and the city about this year’s strict block party policies because he said it resonated more with students than their “gray, dial-it-back” message last year.
“It was a very nice afternoon,” DeSpain said. “People were cooking out and throwing a football and Frisbee and were generally very well behaved.”
Student voluntary compliance throughout the afternoon allowed the law enforcement entities present at Mifflin to send home officers earlier than expected, which McCaw said will decrease the economic impact of the block party on taxpayers.
Last year, Mifflin cost city residents approximately $195,000 in law enforcement overtime pay as well as jail booking fees and detoxification services. The cost of Mifflin this year has yet to be released.
Of the seven citations police issued this year, three were for depositing human waste, two were for having an open intoxicant on the street, one was for “casual possession” of marijuana and one was for violating a glass-free zone, according to a police report.
According to DeSpain, many of the problems police saw in previous years stemmed from non-University of Wisconsin-Madison students attending the block party.
As for the first Saturday in May 2014, DeSpain said students can expect a similar police presence as this year.
“The police chiefs on record are saying we can’t have the same type of party that’s been there the last few years,” DeSpain said. “Our hope is that things have changed, and we’re not going to see large, out-of-hand, dangerous parties there again.”
