City officials hosted a meeting Thursday evening to alert residents and set expectations ahead of the annual Mifflin Street Block Party, an event that is unsanctioned by the City of Madison. District 4 Ald. Michael Verveer, who organized the meeting, emphasized the importance of safety for the April 27 event.
Verveer invited residents of Mifflin Street and Madison community members to meet with members of the Madison Police Department, Madison Fire Department and the Building Inspection Division to make plans for safety.
Madison Police Department Central District Captain Michael Hanson shared the department’s plan to monitor the block party, including engaging with people attending the Mifflin Street Block Party, holding attendees accountable to the law, monitoring safety issues and having planned resources for problems that arise, Hanson said. Around 100 police officers will be present.
“We have officers dedicated to on-strike teams to monitor houses to ensure that they are not overrun and that people’s safety is in order,” Hanson said. “The biggest thing for this unsanctioned event is to ensure there’s safety for the officers and the people attending.”
Police will not enter Mifflin Street Houses without a warrant, reasonable suspicion of a crime taking place or residents’ approval, Hanson said.
Central District Officer Jane Preston has been assigned to the Mifflin Street Block Party for the past four years. Preston and other officers who will be present at the block party encourage Mifflin Street residents to notify officers if crowds on their property become uncontrollable or if they witness dangerous behavior.
University of Wisconsin students attending the Mifflin Street Block Party should be aware that they may face university disciplinary action for charges against them, according to Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards Associate Director Ryan Podolak.
“We’ll put students through the disciplinary process for those sanctioned, commensurate with the behavior that we’re seeing,” Podolak said.
Other Universities of Wisconsin campuses will also be notified of students charged at the event, Podolak said.
Following last year’s block party — which had an estimated attendance of 10,000 — the Madison Police Department held a press conference that called the block party’s future into question, according to previous reporting from The Badger Herald. At the 2023 press conference, Hanson said arrests and citations related to intoxication, overcrowding, noise complaints and injuries were reasons why the event should be put to an end.
“None of us can understand what is special about intoxication, the assaults that happen, the injuries that happen, people climbing trees and touching power lines, a nurse getting kicked in the head, all to celebrate a day that is no longer about a Vietnam protest,” Hanson said at the 2023 press conference.
Despite ongoing concerns about holding the event in the future, District 8 Ald. MGR Govindarajan said the event is likely to continue, so it is important to provide safety resources for those in attendance.
While city officials recognize students see the block party as a way to to blow off steam before final exams, attendees must also be aware of potential dangers, according to Verveer.
“We try to do our best every year to try to get the word out, encourage people to be safe, understand our expectations and always hope for the best,” Verveer said.
