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Official Mifflin arrest total up to 438, most related to booze
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The Madison Police Department reported 438 arrests at last Saturday’s Mifflin Street Block Party and still has arrests and citations to issue to Mifflin residents hosting parties in violation of the law, police officials said Monday.
Of the 438 arrested, 383 of those were cited and released, 51 were sent to the Dane County Jail and four went to the detox center.
Madison Police Capt. Mary Schauf said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald that MPD has not processed all of the information related to arrests at Mifflin.
“In the week or so past the event, we go back and issue citations based on probable cause to persons who live in the houses,” Schauf said.
Police take note of or warn houses during the block party that have loud music, overcrowded porches, serve underage visitors or raise other police concerns. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said police tell residents they will probably come back later and issue a ticket.
In 2007, 366 people were arrested at the party, and the total number of arrests — including citations issued post-party — was 506, according to MPD Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain.
The increased arrests were not a matter of faulty publicity on behalf of the MPD, Schauf said.
“We had officers go door-to-door to speak with residents, have handed out materials and gave very specific information at the community meeting,” she said.
According to Verveer, police made a conscious decision in 2004 to have a “pro-arrest policy for most any city ordinance violation” at the block party.
In 2003, seven people were arrested and in 2004 that number jumped to 190.
“In prior years, the police decision was they would just monitor and ensure nothing got out of hand, more of a laissez-faire approach,” Verveer said. “The 2004 decision to change the face of the party came because the party is illegal in the minds of the cops.”
Unless the party has a legitimate sponsor, Verveer thinks the police will continue with their current approach.
Observers at the event said police were arresting people holding open alcohol containers with one foot on the sidewalk and one foot on private property.
Verveer said his hopes for a sponsor at Mifflin would not be anything like Madison’s Freakfest Halloween party where people are charged for entrance onto State Street.
He added he has already received numerous comments from people with sponsorship ideas.
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Hopefully with all the arrests this year the MPD was able to reach its quota early this month so they can use their time and energy to solve important cases….maybe like the five homocides.
I would put money on this was the last year we [the students] could enjoy Mifflin for what it really was. Hello corporate takeover…
Can anyone explain the difference between the Mifflin Street Block party and Tailgating in and around the streets and public locations for football games at Camp Randall? I mean other than that the majority of the tailgaters for the Football games are 30+ years old.
Police departments do not keep individual quotas for their officers. It ceases to amaze me that so many people think this….
For what it really was? You don’t know what it really was. What it’s become is one drunken party.
Mifflin sucks.
I do appreciate, at the least, Mike Verveer somewhat standing up for the students by acknowledging the “zero-tolerance” policy the MPD has been following for Mifflin and surely for Halloween the past several years.
Corporate takeover? It’s your government, and you help elect those officials who make said decisions. So we’re apparently part of that “corporation,” too. (Oh, wait, I forgot, no one does that “government” thing anymore.)
8:01am, I agree with you in that the MPD should be focused on the homicide cases and less on Mifflin. But have you thought about how much more focused they could be if there was no Mifflin Block Party? I doubt it, and I doubt that anyone who went this year thought about it either. If people really cared about solving murder cases, they wouldn’t attend Mifflin or Halloween, knowing that if nobody goes, then there is no party and the MPD doesnt have to waste its time being there.
Now, I don’t know much about police department hierarchy, but it strikes me that street patrol cops monitoring Mifflin would not affect the work of homicide detectives investigating the 5 murders. I can’t believe everyone is so bitter! Mifflin doesn’t magically become a law-free zone on the first Saturday of May. If there were a serious sexual assault, drinking related death, or other tragedy as a direct result of Mifflin you same people would be up in arms that the police did nothing to protect you. This animosity toward the police is dripping with ignorance and immaturity. Grow up! Or at least get a better fake ID.
There is a difference between regular police officers and detectives. People need to realize that.
that is me in that picture