Members of the Madison Police Department and Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, met with residents of Mifflin Street Thursday in an effort to improve the annual Mifflin Street Block Party.
Verveer said he wanted to initiate the meeting, the first in a series leading up to the event, because of the rise in arrests over the years.
In 2003 only 33 people were arrested, but four years later, the number increased to 489.
Most people love the event and don't realize it could go ugly, which is why police take it so seriously,"" he said. ""There's something broken about this event when we have hundreds and hundreds of people arrested.""
Cpt. Mary Schauf of the MPD emphasized although the event should belong to the students and residents of Mifflin Street, safety is an essential factor for the entire city of Madison.
""How do we get people to understand that we don't want to go out and make a bunch of arrests?"" she said. ""It's your street and so it's your block party, and we'd like to have you take some ownership of that.""
Students responded by requesting police use more judgment when doling out tickets, most of which are minor violations for having an open container on the street.
Andrew Carpenter, a UW-Madison junior who spends the majority of his time with friends who live on Mifflin Street, said he would like to see those who display violent or disruptive behavior be penalized for their actions.
Jordan Kennedy, a resident of Mifflin Street, echoed Carpenter's sentiments. He explained he was a victim of receiving a drinking ticket when his entire body was not completely on private property.
""I feel like they're [police] just looking for offenders,"" he said.
The only way to make it legal for students to openly drink on the streets would be for a corporate entity to get involved by taking out a street use permit.
