NEWS
Madison police to take hard-line stance on drinking
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by Darryl Schnell
Thursday, September 8, 2005
The City of Madison Police Department aims to limit illegal drinking and drinking-related crime on the University of Wisconsin campus by using Community Police Teams and a hard-line approach to house parties.
Capt. Mary Schauf, who works in Madison’s central district, which includes the UW campus, said teams consist of one sergeant and five officers. She explained their job includes working with the community on special events like Halloween and the Mifflin Street Block Party, and on consistent complaints and problems, as well.
Chief Noble Wray said the central-district team takes an educational and cooperative approach to policing.
“The community police team lays out and discusses expectations with people in the community,” Wray said. “We think working with the community helps citizens get involved in the policing, and even brings self-regulation on issues like drinking.”
Schauf said the MPD sets monthly agendas on which the team focuses its energy. The officers’ flexible schedule and detachment from service calls provides the team the ability to work proactively on specific problems in the community.
With students back on campus, Wray said the MPD will work with UW students to promote a reasonable and responsible approach to alcohol consumption.
Schauf explained why dealing with drinking on campus is difficult for police.
“If a person chooses to get really intoxicated and they’re of age, then [police] can’t really do anything about it,” Schauf said. “The city has ordinances based on specific behaviors, and unless the person is underage, we can’t punish them for just being drunk. The person has to break some other law in order to get a ticket. It’s not always easy for [police] to catch other violations in the act.”
According to Schauf, other crimes are often right on the heels of intoxication.
“When students get intoxicated, that’s when we see things like fights, sexual assaults, vandalism and noise violations,” Schauf said.
Schauf said crimes like these, along with distribution to minors, often occur at large house parties. She added that house parties would be a focus of the central district police force.
“These large house parties are basically bars,” Schauf said. “Students illegally charge people for beer without a liquor license. What you end up with in a house party like that is an environment with no regulations.”
“When those parties get out of hand, that’s when you see crimes like sexual assaults, weapons violations and violent acts of that nature.”
“We don’t bother with warnings anymore,” Schauf said. “If [we] come to a party, we use law enforcement right away. Warnings don’t get you very far and result in constant complaints about certain houses.”
Schauf explained the house parties the MPD busts tend to have the “pick-me” syndrome. These parties are too obnoxious to not notice.
“Those house parties are like the kid who sits in the back of the classroom jumping around with their hand in the air,” Schauf said. “Those parties are so big, they can’t help but get caught.”
