NEWS
Jokesters beware
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Also by Eileen Boyce:
- Madison School Board removes pledge ban (October 15, 2001)
- Semester recap: State Street (December 13, 2001)
- MPD warns of towing, tickets during break (December 4, 2001)
- Madison: One of top 10 cities to have it all? (December 11, 2001)
- Council approves smoking ban, guest policy ordinance (November 25, 2001)
Related Stories:
- Police prepare for first of two Halloween weekends (October 25, 2002)
- Halloween is creeping closer, but when will it actually arrive? (September 26, 2002)
- MPD planning for Halloween crowd on Oct. 31 (October 8, 2002)
- Students anxious for Halloween, still uncertain of celebration date (October 11, 2002)
- Weekend sees halfhearted Halloween celebration (October 28, 2002)
by Eileen Boyce
Tuesday, October 30, 2001
Madison police said they will not be laughing at jokes and pranks during tonight’s Halloween festivities.
The combination of the high-alert status of the nation for more terrorist attacks and the planned Halloween festivities has the Madison Police Department taking extra precautions to ensure safety and cautioning students to be prudent in choosing costumes.
“There will be a higher-than-normal police presence on State Street,” Lt. Ross Fleming said.
But Fleming said the safety precautions will not be as extensive as last Saturday, when the MPD faced an estimated crowd size of 60,000.
“The night will be handled almost identically to Saturday, except with less officers because we don’t expect as many people,” Fleming said.
The MPD will also be more observant of costumes that include toy weapons or references to the terrorist attacks, which Fleming said people may find threatening in wake of the nation’s high alert.
“People throwing flour as a joke will not be tolerated,” Fleming said.
Offenders will most likely be arrested for disorderly conduct, he said.
“White powder is a very serious threat to many people right now,” Fleming said. “Anything suspicious with a potential danger will be immediately checked out.”
State Street bar owners are expecting bigger Wednesday crowds than usual because of both Halloween and the Bob Dylan concert at the Kohl Center.
“It will be a stronger night than normal,” Ross Johnson, general manager of State Street Brats, said. “Whenever there is an event we bring extra people in.”
The police department does not expect crowds to be nearly as large as the 60,000-70,000 that celebrated this weekend, but said they realize many people will still be out.
“Our biggest concern is the safety of everybody there,” Fleming said.
