Halloween in Madison

Halloween celebrations in Madison, Wisconsin have been extremely dangerous. In 2006 450 people were arrested and there was $350,000 spent on policing to protect the crowd and private property. The party would draw close to 200,000 revelers and they would end up smashing windows, looting, setting fires, etc... all in the name of fun. The Mayor turned the event into Freakfest and closed off the main street. They charged party goers $5 each, limited the number to 80,000 and had a budget of $400,000 for the event (80% dedicated to security). The event has evolved and is not as dynamic as it was before the corporate and government involvement. However, the number of arrests and amount of damage has been significantly decreased. Arrests in 2009 were down 89% from 2005 numbers. Thus, while some might complain government sold out the event to corporate marketers, the key is there are fewer injuries, the crowd is more contained, and there are fewer arrests. All around a better choice in my book.