With the one-year anniversary of the homicide of University of Wisconsin senior Brittany Zimmermann on Thursday, the university and downtown police departments are continuing their safety practices as usual.
While the Madison Police Department and the University of Wisconsin Police Department ramped up patrols and focused resources in the Bassett area neighborhood nearly one year ago, they have since returned to their “day-to-day” routines.
“When the case first broke, there were a lot of different things we did both in part of the investigation and to increase the neighborhood safety,” said Madison Police Department Capt. Mary Schauf. “Needless to say, having all of those bodies down there, while it serves a purpose for a while, at some point you need to pull back and kind of say ‘OK, what does this increased presence give us in terms of overall safety?'”
UWPD Sgt. Jason Whitney said his department is continuing to promote safety measures “as always” this week, adding the campus is currently at a 35-year record low in terms of crime.
“I believe the things that we have been doing for several years are now paying off, and we are continuing to do those types of things,” Whitney said.
Whitney credits the decline to the UWPD’s problem-solving and community policing efforts as well as educating downtown residents.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, while crime in the campus area seems to have stabilized, he continues to urge residents and community members to exercise vigilance.
Verveer added it is important to remember it has not only been the Zimmermann homicide that has caused serious safety concerns downtown, but also those of UW-Whitewater student Kelly Nolan who disappeared after bar-hopping in Madison in June 2007 and the January 2008 murder of 31-year-old Joel Marino.
“We’ve clearly had a string of very horrific crimes in the last few years, and that’s been a big wake up call to the campus and downtown community,” Verveer said.
Verveer added while the violent crime could be a deterrent for some potential residents in the Bassett neighborhood, he said he would argue in the year since Zimmermann’s homicide the neighborhood has become substantially safer.
“I think for a lot of people, they can’t get it out of their mind that the killers are still at large,” Verveer said. “But, I’ve had fewer complaints about crime and suspicious folks than I had the year prior to [Zimmermann’s homicide].”
Associate Dean of Students Kevin Helmkamp said while the university did not employ any particular safety measures due to Zimmermann’s homicide, the university is always working to improve campus safety.
“As tragic as that event was, campus safety really is one of those ongoing topics that the university is always looking at,” Helmkamp said. “(But) I don’t know if we ever really sat down and said because of the homicide this is what we want to do in terms of safety.”
Helmkamp added the university is looking to improve campus safety in the future by engaging students in a more active manner and exploring lighting issues at length.
Current and hopeful alders express stances on safety
As the importance of safety remains at the forefront of many minds this week with the anniversary of Zimmermann’s murder, downtown alders and alder candidates said they want to see a more proactive police force and continued efforts from the university in the future.
Verveer said while there are more police working downtown than ever before, the strategies in which they are employed could be reexamined.
“I’d like to see more cops out of their cars, out of the bars — where they’re more visible, where they can be perhaps more helpful in preventing real crimes,” he said.
District 8 aldermanic candidate Mark Woulf and current District 8 Ald. Eli Judge also agreed the resources aimed at underage alcohol enforcement via compliance checks in bars and house party raids could be better utilized by having police out on the streets and walking the beat.
“I understand the points of the argument on the other side of the fence — I simply disagree with [them],” Judge said. “It is one thing I certainly hope can get altered in the next few years. I’ve always said it before: It’s not underage drinking that causes crime, it’s alcohol-related crime that causes crime.”
District 8 aldermanic candidate Bryon Eagon said he thinks the anniversary of Zimmermann’s homicide can help shed some light on the importance of personal safety practices as well.
“Whether it’s keeping your doors and windows locked, making sure your smoke alarms are efficient or knowing the best practices of not walking alone at night, these are all things that may seem trivial and something that we may hear a lot, but I think it’s important to refresh those best practices,” Eagon said.
