As the temperature warms and more people begin to flock to the downtown area, university police plan to help city police increase presence to protect safety of residents in the downtown area.
In response to last summer’s shooting on University Avenue and the attack on former Badger running back Montee Ball, the Madison Police Department and University of Wisconsin Police Department said they will work toward minimizing crime and preventing these confrontations from occurring in the upcoming months in the area.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said although last summer’s events attracted great public attention, problems in the downtown area near the bars on the 600 block of University Avenue and State Street are not new to the city.
Verveer said while a lot of the time students may not be involved or are not provoking any serious crime, students are not always innocent and do commit crimes as well.
The University Avenue shooting last May occurred outside of Johnny O’s and Segredo, and involved three victims, none of whom were UW students.
The shooter, also not a UW student, opened fire on the victims in crowd of people.
In contrast to the May shooting, the attack on Ball involved three UW students.
Verveer said he wants all students to be aware that MPD’s primary focus is on keeping both students and patrons alike as safe as possible and said he wants to make sure they enjoy their nights without trouble.
“Anytime a loaded weapon is discharged in a crowded area, innocent people are at risk for serious injury,” Verveer said. “Anybody could get hurt in that area, and it will be the police officer’s focus to prevent crimes like this.”
Marc Lovicott, a UWPD spokesperson, said while the downtown area is out of UWPD’s jurisdiction, the department will continue to help out MPD in as many ways as they can and will continue to prevent crime around the campus as well.
Lovicott said the force will address this summer like previous summers, and they will always have a known presence around the campus at all times to try and keep order.
While not spending most of their time in any specific area, Lovicott said UWPD routinely responds to problems that happen at dormitories and UW hospitals and will continue to reach out to all corners of campus.
Verveer said MPD will use the Downtown Safety Initiative to help pay for officers that may work overtime to patrol the streets during the late hours when most crimes occur. He said the City Council has appropriated $100,000 for the DSI program.
Verveer and Lovicott both offered advice for students to stay safe around campus and the downtown area as the weather gets nicer by walking with a group of people rather than alone and using common sense.
“We know underage drinking is a part of the culture, so when students engage in this behavior, we just ask that they engage responsibly,” Lovicott said.
