[media-credit name=’Ben Smidt’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The city of Madison may still be without a police chief, but city and University of Wisconsin officials are doing everything they can to prep for Halloween madness.

The university has changed its views toward Madison Halloween, offering the Associated Students of Madison a last-minute gift of $17,000 for the weekend celebration.

ASM will receive $15,000 to serve food on Library Mall Oct. 30 beginning at midnight, as well as an additional $2,000 to help plan and publicize Saturday daytime events, such as hayrides.

UW had previously debated giving ASM the money for late-night events like costume contests and live music.

“I think the ASM organizers worked heroically to try and develop ideas for a safer Halloween. The disagreement is that some of the ideas they’re promoting would lead to … late-night activities [that would call] more people [to the streets],” Casey Nagy, special assistant to Chancellor John Wiley, said.

The university has persistently tried to keep a cap on new late-night events during Halloween. But after ASM received the street permits from the city, the university agreed to help finance the events.

“Our preference was to not have late-night events with Halloween, period,” Nagy said. “This is the position we’ve maintained for over a year in planning.”

Kristina Mueller, the 2004 ASM Halloween chair, said the planning process has been a long one.

Mueller said the university’s reluctance to support ASM efforts for a band was frustrating earlier in the year.

“It was frustrating during the beginning to get [the university’s] support, but once we got the street permit they realized that what we were doing was good,” Mueller said. “I think they saw how we’re going to make a difference and now they’re being as supportive as they can.”

Mueller said the university was supportive during a Halloween meeting Wednesday and that she is glad the university is financing food provisions.

“We thought it was in the university’s interest and the community to help students make this event as safe as possible,” Nagy said. She added providing food might curb negative behavior and activity.

The university is giving ASM full reign to choose the food venue, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.

“To ASM’s credit, they are doing the right thing by seeing if they can get majority of food from State Street area businesses,” Verveer said.

According to Verveer, Qdoba, Casa Bianca, Topper’s and Big Mike’s have expressed interest in providing food.

The Street Use Staff Committee approved a street permit last week for ASM Halloween activities, giving the go-ahead for daytime activities and a late-night costume contest. The permit approved usage on the 300 through 700 blocks of State Street for Friday Oct. 29 setup and Saturday Oct. 30 activities.

Students involved in criminal behavior affecting other students on or off campus can face sanctions including suspension or expulsion, according to a release. The Office of the Dean of Students will review each case of student criminal behavior and students involved in such behavior could be penalized under non-academic misconduct, the release stated.