WEST MIFFLIN STREET

Drug Investigation

According to a Madison Police Department report, police arrested two men during a pre-planned surveillance operation on the 400 block of West Mifflin Street on Feb. 3.

“The 53-year-old [suspect] got inside [the other suspect’s car] and [saw] behaviors that those officers have been trained on in terms of individuals that have a high propensity for either using drugs, or for drug sales,” said MPD spokesperson Howard Payne.

Payne said the officers then contacted the vehicle on Mifflin.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said that the area around Broom and West Mifflin Street has over the years had to deal with continuous illegal panhandling and loitering, which is why the police where surveying the area in the first place.

WEST HIGH SCHOOL

Strong Armed Robbery

On Feb. 8, a 14-year-old male victim was beaten multiple times by two suspects after refusing to hand over his iPod, an MPD report said.

While entering West High School from the Ash Street entrance, the victim was listening to his iPod as the suspects approached and was unable to take preemptive measures for protection.

Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, said in an email to The Badger Herald that an incident of this nature at the high school is extremely rare.

Payne said regardless of commonality of a crime, MPD tells people to always pay attention to their surroundings and environment.

WEST TOWNE MALL

Strong Armed Robbery

An 83-year-old woman was a victim of a strong-armed robbery on Feb. 8 that allegedly took place within in the vicinity of the West Towne Mall parking lot, according to an MPD report. Within the past 14 days, two other incidents of strong-armed robberies have occurred in or near the West Towne mall parking lot. 

In both instances, the victims had their valuable Apple products forcefully taken from them.

“I think the commonality of [strong armed robberies] occurring at West Towne Mall, is definitely something that has been established, and something that we as a department want to get a grip on to try, and try to keep that from happening,” said Payne.

EAST JOHNSON STREET

Traffic Incident/Road Rage

After one man backed his car into his cousin’s vehicle, the two men began a high-speed chase, according to a MPD report.

After one cousin, with a 3-year-old child in the back seat, rammed the other’s car and sent it skidding, a group of onlookers called the police, which eventually led the man’s arrest, the report said.

The chase culminated in a collision on an East Johnson street driveway when one man rammed into the other’s car. The suspect was arrested for 2nd degree Reckless Endangerment.