City of Madison officials held a press conference Tuesday at City Hall to discuss their staffing and emergency planning for the Mifflin Street Block Party, an event that has drawn concern from safety officials.
Mifflin, historically held on the last Saturday of April, is a well-attended event that is not sanctioned by any official entity.
Started in the 1960s as a protest against the Vietnam War, the now-annual block party has drawn strong criticism from the Madison Police Department (MPD) for the prevalence of underage drinking and unsafe behavior. Last year's celebration saw a flipped car, 80 arrests and 11 hospitalizations.
In the past, city officials have vowed to put an end to the event. However, at the press conference, officials noted that the event will happen whether the city likes it or not.
“It’s quite inevitable that we will be seeing thousands of folks descending on the Mifflin neighborhood,” said District 4 Ald. Michael Verveer. “Whether or not we encourage these individuals to come, folks will come.”
A primary concern from public safety officials is the possibility of a structural collapse, as was the case in 2022 when a balcony collapsed and injured several attendees.
Matt Tucker, the city’s director of building inspection, said the department has helped prepare residences for the event.
According to Tucker, the department has, for decades, observed the area for any “visual defects and property maintenance-related problems and violations.”
Tucker noted that 58 properties were examined, with 26 “notices of violation” and 23 “notices to clean up.” While visual inspection of the exteriors were conducted, Tucker emphasized that they are unable to analyze interior conditions.
“Back in 2022, there was a porch that looked fine that collapsed. When that porch came down, we were able to see the rot in the wood that would not have been visually available,” Tucker said.
The city is also encouraging residents to move vehicles and to put away their valuables.
Around 150 MPD officers, including the Special Events Team for crowd control, will be deployed according to MPD Captain Kipp Hartman. Bikes, mounted patrol and drones will be utilized as well. Assisting agencies include both the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the University of Wisconsin Police Department.
“Attendees are encouraged to reach out to any officer if they need help,” Hartman said.
MPD’s new Amnesty Through Responsible Action policy will be in effect during emergencies at Saturday’s event.
The policy states that citations for underage alcohol violations will not be issued to callers and victims who request medical assistance as long as the caller remains with the victim and cooperates. If someone is the victim of a crime, a citation also wouldn’t be issued.
“Being a victim of a crime or needing medical attention is always going to come first,” Hartman said. “Underage drinking is something that is not going to be the primary focus at that time.”
Amid this policy change, officials still urged caution and awareness for the attendees.
“Frankly, students will come,” Verveer said. “The message is, please be safe.”
Jake Wesson is a staff writer and photographer for The Daily Cardinal. He has written stories covering politics, protests, public safety and more. You can follow him on Twitter @jake_wesson11.
Drew Wesson is a staff writer and photographer for The Daily Cardinal. He has written stories covering public safety, protests, political events and more. You can follow him on Twitter @drewwesson1.
