The smell of brats on the grill and sound of music blasting from a neighbor’s porch Saturday morning signified University of Wisconsin-Madison students preparing for the Mifflin Street Block Party.
Despite doubts of a large celebration reminiscent of years past from city officials and Madison police, this year’s block party attracted a large crowd of enthusiastic Badgers and non-Badgers alike.
“Mifflin is a heritage,” UW graduate Javonte Walters said. “Mifflin is not just a party for kids to have fun. It’s to meet up with friends and regain friendships that you’ve had.”
Students had mixed responses to the outcome of the event due to increased police coverage over the past few years. Many attending Mifflin for the first time had an enjoyable experience while upperclassmen longed for the days when the Mifflin Block Party was an official event.
UW-Madison senior Jeff Wilkins said this year’s event was “very mild” in comparison to previous years.
“It’s probably just like any other game day now, maybe a little bit more hyped but not like it used to be,” Wilkins said.
UW-Madison sophomore Brad Miller said his experience was “a little better than last year.”
“Last year I feel like it was little bit stricter, but this year I feel like people had more fun,” Miller said.
The block party in past years brought rowdy crowds and police were forced to make changes to the festivities after two stabbings in 2011. The Madison Police Department cracked down on their officers’ coverage of the event in 2012 to maintain safety among participants.
Police issued approximately 400 arrests and citations in 2012 mainly for alcohol-related violations. The MPD’s “no tolerance” plan carried over to the 2013 celebration which students said was significantly quieter than previous years.
Students who attended the block party this year were generally pleased with the police activity.
“[The police] were just making sure people didn’t get hurt. We talked to like three different officers, they just wanted to make sure people were safe,” Miller said. “It was a pretty good experience.”
Two officers who were patrolling the street on May 3, Lt. Amy Schwartz and Capt. Richard Bach, said students were compliant with police this year.
“We don’t have a strict enforcement policy. We’re letting the officers use their discretion whether they want to give warnings, issue citations for various things,” Bach said. “The crowds have been pretty friendly; the officers are interacting with people.”
Schwartz said police only had to make one arrest that she was aware of due to a “drug-related event” along with citations.
“It seemed to be an OK event. We didn’t have any major issues,” Schwartz said. “I guess overall, I would say it was a success.”
