The Madison Police department will take action on illegal activity consisting of providing alcohol to underage drinkers and selling cups at house parties on both April 30 and May 7.
Captain Mary Schauf of the Madison Police Department and Assistant UW Police Chief Dale Burke presented plans of action for the two Mifflin Block Party dates at a Policy Alternatives Community and Eduction meeting Tuesday at the UW Foundation Building.
Schauf told PACE the MPD will be more lenient on May 7 regarding bands \out of respect for the students,"" but was quick to add that 6 p.m. will signify the start of Madison's noise ordinance.
Madison and UW Police did not say the same for the April party date.
""We will be prepared on April 30,"" Schauf said, ""but we will not grant the same latitude.""
Schauf also said staffing two parties will be very costly for the city.
Both officers said the event was scheduled for the day before the first exam date because the first Saturday in May has always been a tradition, and officers do not want to part with tradition.
""Tradition cannot give way to convenience,"" Burke said.
Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9, also described his keg registration proposition for the committee, which involves registering kegs and keeping a record of transactions available for public inspection.
Skidmore said many of the problems associated with the Mifflin Block Party and Halloween are largely due to the ""consumption of huge amounts of beer at house parties that have little control from authorities.""
It is Skidmore's hope that the keg registration proposal provides another measure of accountability.
""This isn't a magic bullet,"" Skidmore said. ""This will not solve the problem, but will hopefully be a good start.""
Skidmore added that keg registration will not be ready for the Mifflin Block Party, but hopes the proposition will be ready for Halloween next year.
PACE Project Coordinator Sudi Ceglarek identified party ""hotspots"" at her February House Party Meeting and reported her findings to the committee, as well.
Potential ""hotspots"" were identified to be those areas within the city where huge parties get police attention, according to Ceglarek.
Ceglarek identified College Court, the Breese Terrace area, the 400 and 500 blocks of West Mifflin and Dayton Streets and ""legacy"" houses as ""hotspots"" in Madison. ""Legacy"" houses are establishments occupied by of-age hosts that throw parties for underage drinkers to attend.
