Thousands of UW-Madison students and out-of-town visitors descended on Mifflin Street Saturday to celebrate the annual Mifflin Street Block Party in what the Madison Police Department (MPD) described as “one of the largest crowds we have seen in recent years.”
The party, historically held on the last Saturday of April, dates back to a 1960s Vietnam War protest. The now-annual block party has drawn strong criticism from city officials in recent years for underage drinking and hazardous behavior.
MPD’s newly created Amnesty Through Responsible Action policy was in effect for the event. The policy prevents callers and victims from receiving a citation for underage drinking, as long as the caller stays on scene and cooperates. Furthermore, if the impaired individual is a victim of a crime, a citation wouldn’t be issued.
As of 7 p.m. Saturday, MPD reported the arrests of 42 people, most being cited and released for “alcohol related offenses.” MPD stated that “[additional] arrests are possible.”
Last year's celebration saw a flipped car, 80 arrests and 11 hospitalizations.
The crowds and behavior drew a large police presence, including approximately 150 Madison Police Department (MPD) officers. Bike, mounted patrol and drone units were patrolling as well.
Assisting the MPD were both the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the UW-Madison Police Department (UWPD), including EMS assistance from the Madison Fire Department.
Officers were seen taking individuals into custody during the block party, and EMS was on scene treating various individuals throughout the day.
In an interview with The Daily Cardinal, Dane County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Greibor considered the operation a success, pointing toward their training and partnership with other agencies.
According to the incident report, UWPD Chief Brent Plisch, MPD Chief John Patterson and Dean of Students Christina Olstad were in the area talking with students and others attending Mifflin.
Also present at the event were various private security individuals, watching over property located close by.
Even amid concerns from city officials regarding porch overcrowding, The Daily Cardinal observed some porches that appeared to be nearing or at their max capacity. Other porches, with visible warning signs, were taped off and inaccessible.
In 2022, a balcony collapsed and injured several attendees. This was a large concern from city officials at a Tuesday press conference.
To address this concern, city building inspectors inspected properties for issues prior to the block party. They inspected 58 properties and issued 26 violation notices. More than 24 clean-up notices were also sent, according to the city.
Additional city resources included the Water Utility department, who were asked to offer water to attendees according to Jody Berndt, an Outreach Specialist at the Water Utility department.
“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of facilities out here in terms of trash [and] there’s nowhere for students to go to the bathroom,” said Berndt. “I don’t see a lot of access to anything like water, so [we have this] as an alternative.”
Long lines for limited facilities didn’t deter visitors from attending, however.
“It’s a big cultural event at the university, I feel like I have to [attend],” said Nick Mars, a senior at UW-Madison. “If I was a junior, I feel like I probably would have stayed home and studied.”
Jake Wesson contributed to this article
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.
