Authorities Say Freakfest Arrests Set New Low

Police: Arrests Down 25 Percent From Last Year

Updated: 2:01 pm CDT October 29, 2007

Madison police are calling the arrests during Freakfest a new record low, down 25 percent from last year.

After years of hauling hundreds in to be processed, officers have a system. The department's arrest processing center is in located in the basement of the city-county building downtown. It's where every person taken into custody during the event is cited, posts bail, or ends up moved to detox or the jail, WISC-TV reported.

Lt. Mary Lou Ricksecker is in charge and said the department tries to educate the community about what will get them in trouble.

"Even though we try, people violate certain ordinances and our laws," said Ricksecker. "There is a price to pay for that -- one or two hours in processing to get a ticket."

Most of the tickets handed out during Freakfest are issued for open intoxicants, underage drinking and disorderly conduct, police said.

This year, 120 people were in custody by 2 a.m. on Sunday. That's a 64 percent drop from two years ago.

The total weekend arrests was also down. In just one year, the number dropped 25 percent, from 235 arrests last year to 175 this year, officials said.

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