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Wray: Sponsor could decrease Mifflin arrests
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by Pedro Oliveira Jr.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
After the Mifflin Street Block Party hit a record number of arrests for the fifth year in a row last weekend, Police Chief Noble Wray said Wednesday those numbers will not drop in future years unless someone steps forward to sponsor the event.
In an interview with The Badger Herald, Wray said he would like to see the event go in a different direction, adding police do not consider the party successful “when you have to manage behavior by issuing tickets.”
With more than 400 arrests and an estimated attendance of less than 10,000, this year’s block party continues a pattern of dramatic decreases in attendance coupled with huge spikes in arrest totals.
But according to Wray, police have not changed their procedures when dealing with partygoers, and the spiking number of arrests is “an indicator that the behavior is not what it should be.”
Ald. Mike Verveer, whose District 4 includes West Mifflin Street, has been an open proponent of a sponsorship for the party. For him, having an official body take responsibility for the event would ensure fewer citations and more fun for partygoers.
Verveer pointed to previous years in which the party was sponsored by the Mifflin Street Co-op and critiqued the current alcohol-focused celebration.
“Before, one could argue that the party wasn’t just about drinking; it was about music. There were DJs and bands,” he said.
George Twigg, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, agreed with Verveer and said the party could “actually be a lot more enjoyable” if there was sponsorship. But, he added, the event needs to be credible and organized so police are satisfied with safety levels.
“The police try to take a reasonable approach,” Twigg said. “It’s not zero tolerance, but it’s not anything goes. They try to strike a balance in that regard.”
Joel DeSpain, Madison Police Department public information officer, said despite high numbers of arrests, the party is still safe given there were no noticeable violent incidents. He added police presence and enforcement during the party sends a message to partygoers that they are there to maintain order and safety.
Still, Verveer said he is frustrated with MPD “believing they’re required to have such a strict enforcement of alcohol-related ordinances during the event.”
“I don’t want to be seen as blaming the cops; I understand where their perspective comes from,” Verveer said. “But my understanding where their policy comes from, going back a few years now, is that this party is not recognized by the city. It’s an illegal party in their mind, and they don’t want to encourage it. They don’t want it to get even larger.”
Wray said he is open to discussing the idea of sponsorship, but added he doesn’t think it is “up to me or the police to decide.”
“I’d like to see those numbers go down, but it does take somebody taking responsibility for the event,” Wray said. “I don’t think we should be looking to blame a group; it is important for people to be held accountable for their own individual behaviors and actions.”
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 9:41am):
It would be nice to have Mifflin be "about music" again. But how can that happen when having loud music gets you a hefty ticket? Mike Verveer should stop talking and start doing something.
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 10:46am):
“Before, one could argue that the party wasn’t just about drinking; it was about music. There were DJs and bands,” he said
--
yea, that was before the cops started ticketing bands that were playing for noise violations. you can't have it both ways. either let bands play and don't ticket them or don't complain when the only thing to do on mifflin is drink.
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 11:02am):
Mifflin is officially dead.
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 12:29pm):
"police do not consider the party successful 'when you have to manage behavior by issuing tickets.'"
funny...in 2002, 2003, 2004 there were VERY few arrests. What happened in the past couple years that made police have to "manage" behavior?
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 12:34pm):
Perhaps MPD and the 911 center should get sponsors to "take responsibility" of the actions and inactions of those departments.
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 12:49pm):
Read: Sponsor Would Decrease Mifflin Fun
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 2:37pm):
Will UW-Madison students be organized enough to find a replacement for Mayor Dave that doesn't destroy their fun? My guess is no.
-George Twigg
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 3:22pm):
Sponsors = sell outs. As everyone knows, Mifflin started as a protest to Vietnam. Now with sponsors running the show, no one is going to be able to back pack their own beer, and instead pay 5$ for each single beer. I can't afford that shit!
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 4:59pm):
Why don't we just riot next year? Then they'll be a legitimate reason for the cops to be there and we can also throw shit.
Anonymous (May 8, 2008 @ 6:36pm):
Look at the pictures of Mifflin in the multimedia section. Nearly all of the pics are of cops or cops arresting kids. Good photo journalism Badger Herald!
Anonymous (May 9, 2008 @ 1:00am):
This could work as long as sponsorship doesn't have to mean a corporation. A group of motivated students and a couple of local businesses would probably be able to put together a great event. There's got to be a model in somewhere we can copy.
Anonymous (May 10, 2008 @ 9:42pm):
and sponsorship would mean liability... including checking ID's (there goes 1/2 of the students), insurance, security, clean up, licensing....
I'm guessing it won't happen.
Anonymous (May 11, 2008 @ 5:49pm):
Wray is an idiot, the number of arrests didn't spike from almost none to hundreds in 5 years because the partygoers have become more out of control. The UWPD just wants to make plenty of $$$ while trying to shut down Mifflin for good.
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