Community members met Wednesday with Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, and Madison police and fire officials to discuss the upcoming Mifflin Street Block Party Saturday. Chief concerns included the safety of residents and their property and, for students in attendance, the imposition of a four-keg per house limit on Saturday's parties.
The party, a 35-year tradition for the neighborhood, has a storied history-one that concerns Madison law enforcement officials, particularly in light of riots that broke out in 1996.
\Following that, we decided to do a better job of having a dialogue with the neighborhood and the city,"" Verveer said.
The dialogue last night included comments from Asst. Fire Chief Jim Keenan and Division Chief Greg Knutsen, who reiterated the importance of porch safety. More than 100 properties have been inspected for Saturday, but officials need help from residents in ""limiting the number of people that are either on these decks or porches, as well as in your facilities or your apartments,"" Knutsen said.
Verveer also warned community members about fire safety issues, calling any potential bonfire in the crowd of thousands a ""disaster in the making.""
Police officials present stressed safety measures residents should take, citing instances of sexual assault in the past, as well as an incident in 2002 when a drunk driver tried to drive his car into the block party.
But while safety was highlighted by both police and fire department officials, an issue last night that brought vocal opposition from students in attendance was the four-keg per house limit imposed this year, a measure to keep residents from selling up to 50 kegs of beer to partygoers, according to Asst. Chief Luis Yudice. The block party, he said, should not be a way for community members to make profit from over consumption, which has led to violence and property damage in the past and strains police resources.
Confronting rumors of increased police presence, Yudice told those in attendance, ""We have no intent to send undercover officers into your homes to see how many kegs you have.""
""I want to assure you that it's going to be the same police officers that are out there this year that were out there last year. They are going to be as low-key as they were last year, if you allow them to be,"" Yudice said.
The university has also made its list of safety tips for students, including knowing one's limits, use of the ""buddy system"" and observing the ""no-glass rule"" in effect for the party.
