[media-credit name=’Ben Smidt’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]With the threat of increased bail-amount deposits for drinking-related citations looming on the Halloween horizon, City Council members decided to instead implement the increased fines recommended by the Madison Police Department, where most tickets will increase more than $100 from the old fines.

Council members met Tuesday to decide to raise fines for alcohol transgressions, with special focus on Halloween, although it is an issue that has remained on the police department’s agenda for some time.

Police representatives said the objective of such increases is not to raise police funds, but to provide proper warning to those who participate in the festivities.

“It’s a deterrence effect that we’ve been working on for a number of years,” said Madison acting Chief of Police Noble Wray. “We need committee support to get word out beforehand in order to modify behavior before it strikes problems.”

Wray said the goals of deterrence are a pattern to be initiated for Halloween purposes in order to be a general guideline for the future.

“We hope this will serve as a deterrent in general,” Wray said. “Historically, we have not increased the bail amounts. We’re really behind in terms of amounts.”

Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, warned increasing fines might not work, because many of the out-of-town partiers responsible for Halloween trouble in the past will not be aware of the increase in fines.

“With so many visitors coming in, these deterrence effects just won’t work,” Konkel said.

Konkel said many University of Wisconsin students feel Halloween provides a ripe opportunity for officers merely trying to make quotas.

“People will expect higher fines to compensate for city expenses that will occur following the event,” Konkel said.

Ald. Zach Brandon, District 7, said the key to such goals is the wisdom in giving out fewer tickets, with heavier financial costs.

After lengthy deliberation, the amendment to increase bail-amount deposits failed to adopt and will not be implemented, at least this Halloween.

Also under discussion was the targeting of non-citizen tenants, where some landlords force individuals to provide a social security number. It is not illegal for immigrants to not possess a social security card or number.

As of now, city ordinance protects tenants from having to provide a social security number on housing leases.

Speakers opposing such an ordinance noted allowing tenants to move in without providing a social security number clashes with federal law.

“Federal law clearly states that landlords will face trouble for harboring illegal aliens, and the tenant will have to be evicted,” one citizen speaker opposing the ordinance said.

Despite this clause in federal law, Konkel pointed out refusal to provide a social security number does not make an individual an illegal alien.

Concern was raised that landlords could delay calling authorities when tenants breech lease agreements and call police when tenants make maintenance requests.

Such action would qualify as retaliatory eviction, an unlawful act on behalf of the landlord.

The motion was passed, disallowing landlords to force tenants to provide social security numbers at the signing of a lease, or any other time.

The minor decision to deny the owner of Jin’s Chicken and Fish stand his license for six months was delayed for another two weeks.