REPORT TO MADISON MAYOR DAVID CIESLEWICZ ON OPTIONS TO ELIMINATE THE HALLOWEEN PARTY OR REDUCE HALLOWEEN PROBLEMS

Prepared by:

Chief Noble Wray, Madison Police Department

and

Michael P. May, City Attorney

DECEMBER 15, 2004

REPORT TO MADISON MAYOR DAVID CIESLEWICZ ON OPTIONS TO ELIMINATE THE HALLOWEEN PARTY OR REDUCE HALLOWEEN PROBLEMS

Prepared by: Chief Noble Wray, Madison Police Department and Michael P. May, City Attorney

DECEMBER 15, 2004

Pursuant to your request, we examined some of the tactics used in other cities to control large crowds. Among the cities we looked at were Boulder, Colorado; LaCrosse, Wisconsin; Athens, Ohio; Carbondale, Illinois; and Ames, Iowa. In addition to reviewing news reports, we were able to speak to an official in each city except Athens.

Few of the cities experienced crowds similar in size to those at Halloween in Madison the last few years. In some instances, the size of the crowds was only a few thousand, thus, not all of the tactics examined were considered useful in Madison.

We also polled other employees in both the Police Department and the Office of City Attorney to see if they had any ideas for additional tactics. This memo summarizes some of the options available. We have arranged the options from most severe to least severe.

The options set out below are not exclusive. It may be that certain aspects of one option may be utilized in conjunction with aspects from another option. Finally, as noted at the end of the Report, it is necessary to continue the cooperation with the University of Wisconsin administration and students to assist in any effort to reduce the Halloween problems.

1.Announce a plan to stop Halloween. Shut down access to the City at all major intersections.

This option was used with some success in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder had a serious problem with the “Pearl Street Mall Crawl,” which annually drew 20-30,000 revelers to Boulder on or around Halloween. The City announced its intention to reduce or eliminate the Mall Crawl. It accomplished this with an overwhelming police presence. All exits from the interstate to Boulder were closed. Police checked ID’s and questioned anybody attempting to get into the City. Parking ramps in the Pearl St. Mall area were closed. over a period of the 2-3 years, the Mall Crawl shrank down to a few thousand, and now essentially has died. Boulder officials noted, however, that Halloween revelry has moved to the “Hill” area, near the University campus, with increasing issues in that neighborhood every year.

This option was assisted greatly by Boulder’s geography. The city lies between the mountains to the west and a single interstate highway to the east. By shutting off access at relatively few interstate exits, Boulder was able to keep thousands of people out of the city. Madison has a much different geography. It would be very difficult to eliminate access at the points of entry to the City, to say nothing of the inconvenience to law-abiding citizens.

This approach presents a serious effort to completely shut down the Halloween party. If the City were to consider such an effort, we believe it would have to be tailored for Madison’s unique geography, namely, the isthmus area. By restricting access at a number of key streets to the isthmus (East and West Washington, Johnson, Gorham, University, Park, Regent), Madison might be able to accomplish something similar to Boulder’s elimination of the Pearl St. Mall Crawl. Only those with an I.D. showing they lived in the area would be admitted.

Another key consideration is the extent to which eliminating access to the downtown area requires closing down a number of businesses, some of which (Overture, Capitol Square area restaurants, e.g.) have little relationship to Halloween problems. Perhaps those with tickets to other events could be admitted.

2.Announce that there will be no Halloween party and close off the State Street area.

This is a less restrictive alternative to the first option. State Street itself would be closed, including closing all businesses on State Street. Closing down the parking ramps should also be considered, as was done in Boulder and has been done in the Castro area of San Francisco. Closure of ramps with only public transportation accessibility to downtown could reduce crowds.

A major concern about this option is that the revelry may simply be displaced, to Langdon or Regent Streets, or even spill out onto University Avenue or Johnson Streets, creating more chaos. In those cities where an event was effectively shut down (the Coon Creek Days in LaCrosse and the VEISHA celebration in Ames), the event had an official university-related sponsor, which pulled its sponsorship, effectively ending the event. Halloween effectively died in the years after the Wisconsin Student Association quit sponsoring the event, but now has taken on a life of its own. Displacement may also appear in the form of large neighborhood parties.

3.Announce that the event will be for UW students only and have a gated event requiring a UW ID to enter.

The balance of the options discussed in this memo assume that some sort of Halloween party will be held, and explore ways to further reduce problems at the event.

One of the striking pieces of information from this year’s party was the relatively low number of University of Wisconsin students receiving citations or being arrested. Fewer than 20% of the lawbreakers were UW students. In addition, a group of students worked closely with the MPD in planning the event, and publicizing to students the need for an orderly party. Our conclusion is that the troublemakers at the Halloween event are, by and large, persons from outside the University community, and likely outside the Madison community.

Under this option, a party would be held. It could be either on State Street or Langdon Street. It would be a gated event, with either tickets for a small charge, or at a minimum, a University ID, needed for admission. Under these circumstances, the event would need a sponsor to obtain a street permit from the City. We assume that either the UW itself, or some organization closely linked to the UW, would be the sponsor.

We see this option as a method of the UW and the City managing in a different way the Halloween party and returning it to its original function: a local celebration for UW-Madison’s students, rather than a national event that draws many from outside that community. Specific rules as to when the party starts and ends will make it easier to control. As was done in Athens, Ohio, we would want to recruit older students to act as monitors of the event, including adorning them with special jackets.

To be effective, this sort of event would have to be combined with closure of the State Street area and closure of businesses on State Street at a specific hour.

One alternative within this option is to attempt to move the party from State Street to Langdon Street. The experience of the Police Department in dealing with the Mifflin Street Block Party has been much more positive than Halloween. We believe this is due, in part, to the fact it is in a residential area where those who live on Mifflin take ownership of the event. Whether it is possible to do this in Langdon is unknown, and would require close coordination with the University, the Greek community on campus, and the other apartments on and near Langdon. If combined with some other options to limit access to the event, this may have some possibilities.

4.Announce a reduced Halloween event. Close down all businesses in the State Street area at 6:00 p.m. on the day of and days around Halloween Saturday. Eliminate keg sales for a day before and after the Halloween Saturday.

Carbondale, Illinois has had success in reducing an annual party through aggressive limitations on the sale of alcohol. Bars in the “Strip” area of the city are shut down around Halloween. Carbondale did this through ordinance that made such a closing a condition of the liquor license. In addition, the sale or transportation of kegs of beer was banned for a 48-hour period around the usual Halloween party date. Discussion with Carbondale officials indicated these actions significantly reduced the consumption of alcohol, and related safety problems.

Our suggestion is to limit the closure to 6 pm on the day of the party, and perhaps the days before or after it. While not trying to end the party, this effort would greatly reduce the access to alcohol. This could be done by ordinance and liquor license condition, or, in the opinion of the City Attorney, by emergency orders from the Mayor. The early closure would make it more likely that the event would end at a reasonable hour, and more likely that traditional police efforts could clear the area. Since all businesses in a specified area would be closed, the police could clear the area without arguments that the individuals are merely seeking to stop at a local store, restaurant or bar. The ban on keg sales would reduce, but not eliminate, the problem of house parties feeding State Street with persons already inebriated. The experience of trying to limit keg sales for Mifflin St. 2004 resulted in students purchasing cases of beer and other alcoholic products.

Our conclusion is that the over-consumption of alcohol is a major contributing factor to disorderly behavior associated with the Halloween event. We strongly suggest some sort of closure of businesses be considered with any Halloween option.

5.Change the school calendar to cancel school for college students during this period for local colleges.

This option would require significant action on the part of the University. In order to be more comprehensive, MATC and smaller private colleges should be included. Residence halls and all university-based housing should also be closed over this time period. Changing the school calendar helped the City of Carbondale, Illinois, in handling problems.

Whichever option is chosen, it will require a comprehensive media campaign to discourage participants from other cities. Information from other University of Wisconsin cities is that they don’t have to plan since large numbers of students leave to go to Madison. Further the media information would need to target students.

6.Close off access to the 500 block of State Street to avoid congestion at a key flashpoint.

In each of the last two years, the 500 block of State Street became a flashpoint at the end of the evening. Crowds gather in this area, bonfires are lit, fights break out, police are taunted and attacked, and a relatively orderly crowd becomes a mob. One option to consider is to remove access to the 500 block at Frances Street from Langdon Street and University Avenue.

The logistics of such a closure are problematic; the worst case scenario is to make any fences or the like into additional weapons for the mob. Nonetheless, such a closure would greatly reduce the ability of revelers to flow into State Street from Langdon and University Avenue, and directly eliminates two sources of congestion in the area that has been most problematic the last few years. The City may want to consider this option in combination with others.

One of the main activities that attracts people to State Street for Halloween is to walk up and down the street and compare costumes. This option would still allow pedestrian traffic up and down State Street, but would eliminate the ability to enter State Street from Langdon Street or University Avenue at Frances Street.

The concern again is that barricades could be torn down and used as weapons. This plan could also force pedestrians to areas adjacent to State Street. This strategy would probably best be used along with a closure of businesses thus discouraging the State Street focus of the event.

Another related option is to modify the method for clearing the street at the end of the event. In Dallas, a street party had an identified ending time. It was well publicized that, at that hour, a street washing machine would move down the street, soaking the sidewalks (and any persons failing to heed the closing time). We understand this was rather effective in ending the party. Another option is the use of sirens to signal the end of the event.

In Madison, State St. Mall staff use blowers to move debris into the street. A sweeper then moves down the street to pick up the debris. The staff from streets generally waits until police have the street cleared of revelers before sending the sweeper in.

7.Continue to work with U.W. Administration and students in the planning for the 2005 Halloween party.

Input from the University of Wisconsin administration and U.W. students was quite helpful in managing the 2004 event until the significant problems arose at the end of the event. We believe these efforts should continue, regardless of which other options are chosen. The U.W. administration and students will need to be involved in planning for whatever approach is taken for Halloween in 2005 and beyond.

SOURCE: Mayor's Office