Madison’s police chief clarified the rules Monday regarding parade permits and how the Madison Police Department handles police presence during special events.
Because of cuts in the MPD’s budget, the Central district found it necessary to require organizations who host events on city property, such as parades and festivals, to pay for additional police officers, according to a statement from MPD Chief Noble Wray.
A long-standing police ordinance requires street use permit applicants to pay for special duty officers to keep their events safe, if the MPD determines extra enforcement is needed, according to Wray.
Two groups, the Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival and the Madison Area Peace Coalition, applied for parade permits for Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 but refused to pay for special duty officers the MPD requested monitor the event, according to the statement.
MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said the issue with the permit process is not one of free speech but of economic concerns.
“The issue is...whether or not taxpayers should pay for the officers who will monitor the situation or whether groups should pay for those [special duty officers],” DeSpain said.
Wray said the policy has not changed, and organizations are not required to pay a fee to march and exercise their rights.
“The MPD has done nothing to hamper, hinder or dissuade anyone from exercising their First Amendment rights,” Wray said in the statement. “We are proud of our tradition of making Madison a safe place for democracy to happen.”
