NEWS
City, police discuss stricter Halloween plans
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by Darryl Schnell
Thursday, September 1, 2005
The City of Madison and the University of Wisconsin plan significant changes in the handling of Halloween celebrations this year after holding a series of meetings throughout the summer that will continue on a bi-weekly basis until the event.
Oct. 31 falls on a Monday this year, but the big celebration will occur Saturday, Oct. 29, as UW tradition dictates. Many city officials and residents feel changes are necessary for this year’s celebration due to riotous activity for three consecutive years, all of which resulted in crime and violence on State Street.
“We need to change what’s going on at Halloween,” said mayor spokesperson George Twigg. “A celebration ending in tear gas, fires and broken windows is not what anybody wants.”
Twigg said crowding is a precursor to crime, violence and vandalism on Halloween.
According to Twigg, police will use snow fencing to control the flow of people on State Street. Police will also use their discretion to judge when blocks on State Street become overcrowded enough to restrict access to those on the block and from officers attempting to get in.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, also a member of the Madison Community Planning Group, said he has encouraged police to deal with crowding on the 500 block of State Street for years.
“Relieving the crush of humanity on the 500 block would provide more elbow room for people and would result in people being less prone to act out,” Verveer said.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has also contacted bar owners and would like to see bar time changed to midnight instead of 2 a.m.
But Verveer said bar owners have been reluctant to comply with Cieslewicz. Many owners say cutting bar time would cost them three hours of big business because Oct. 30 is daylight savings, which gives them an extra hour to serve alcohol.
“Changing bar time might encourage people to act out,” Verveer said. “It could also encourage the State Street revelry to move into the downtown neighborhood.”
In addition, the city will implement some minor adjustments, including a greater police presence and the use of stadium lights for the entire night, unlike last year, when they were lit at 3 a.m.
Twigg said the mayor is exploring every option available to him from the city’s standpoint. But he is not alone — the UW has also taken steps to control the celebration.
In recent years, the majority of arrests came from out-of-town celebrants, with UW students representing a smaller fraction of arrests.
With this knowledge, UW has looked to limit the number of outsiders on campus.
“The university has informed dorm residents they will not be allowed to have guests on Halloween weekend,” Dylan Rath, vice chair for the Associated Students of Madison, said. “They will also not allow outside groups and bands to perform on campus.”
Rath said there is still a lot of work for ASM to do before Halloween, such as getting students to sign petitions to keep Madison’s Halloween celebration alive for the future.
The planning group, which now meets every other week, will continue discussion with community members and the Madison Police Department as the Halloween deadline approaches.
Verveer said he would like to see UW’s Halloween tradition continue — “Mend it, not end it.”
