News

Mayor’s safety plan gains approval

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's $100,000 Downtown Safety Initiative moved forward Monday, after the Madison Board of Estimates approved funding for the comprehensive safety plan.

After Madison Police Department Captain Mary Schauf presented the mayor's proposal, the board unanimously voted to pass the plan onto the City Council.

The funds, which come from the city's hotel room tax, will be divided between staff overtime, equipment and purchased services.

With the safety plan taking another step forward, George Twigg, the mayor's communications director, said Cieslewicz is looking forward to working with area stakeholders to help ensures crimes — like last summer's string of muggings and assaults — do not recur in the downtown area.

"The revitalization of downtown presents a new challenge," Twigg said. "It is an entertainment district … that requires the neighborhoods and students take a more active roll in safety — not just the police."

Twigg added the Downtown Safety Initiative is part of Cieslewicz's larger plan that recently brought 26 new officers and seven new detectives to the city.

Semmi Pasha, communications director for Ray Allen, who is opposing Cieslewicz in this spring's mayoral election, said Allen — despite believing in Cieslewicz's plan — feels it would not do enough to improve downtown safety.

In its current form, Pasha said Allen believes the plan only goes toward paying officers instead of devoting more resources for criminal investigations throughout the city — not just downtown.

Pasha added the city must recognize the connection between crime and poverty.

"To fight crime in the long run is to fight poverty now," Pasha said.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the Downtown Safety Initiative goes a long way to avoid a repeat of the rash of crime that occurred in the downtown area last year.

The plan includes $70,000 to pay police overtime to help increase police street presence from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. — a period of time targeted by city officials as "peak activity" for crime.

The initiative would also include funding for additional staff for approximately 27 weekends.

An additional $30,000 will go toward equipment such as a web-based camera system with Wi-Fi capabilities to help deter street-level crime.

"Things have to improve and move upward in a positive direction," Verveer said. "I am a big believer in the plan and programs implemented to keep students safer."

The Downtown Safety Initiative will now move to the City Council for consideration Feb. 6. Verveer said he does not foresee the initiative encountering any problems with the council.