Joe Durkin, a 1979 UW-Madison alum and a Madison police officer for 25 years, spoke with The Daily Cardinal about the changes he sees in Mifflin.
The Daily Cardinal: Because you experienced Mifflin as a student, do you think UW alumni who are police officers are more lenient to Mifflin revelers?
Joe Durkin: I think it depends on the department. There are different attitudes different years. After the first riot in '96 ... which I didn't patrol that night, the following year there were numerous officers.
DC: Do you think the police force is stronger now?
JD: Yes, but it has evolved. It started out as just a neighborhood block party. Now, it's changed into a bigger party where it's more out-of-towners and not just a block party.
DC: Do you support Mifflin the way it is now?
JD: To me, it's a block party. I've patrolled at least five Mifflins in my career, and it's fine as long as it's just a block party.
DC: Was the police scene as big in the 1970s as it is now?
JD: Back then it was just an organized block party. The (Mifflin Street.) co-op sold beer as a way to make money. When I did Mifflin in the early '80s, sometimes there were six officers working the whole thing. Personally, I have no problem with a normal block party, but it's bigger than when I was in school. Now, there's more enforcement.
-Interview conducted by Laura-Claire Corson
