By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After hearing reports from residents of feeling terrorized and being immersed in an environment of chaos and disruption, Whitewater officials are stepping up efforts to address an annual non-sanctioned event geared toward college students.
For the fourth consecutive year, a for-profit company known as Wisconsin Red organized a Spring Splash event in Whitewater on April 16. Similar events have taken place in other communities within the state with a large university presence.
In its first three years, Spring Splash occurred without much incident. Reportedly, this year’s gathering drew a large number of people from outside Whitewater.
Overall, Spring Splash also had notably higher attendance through an organized social media campaign and favorable weather, resulting in a larger than anticipated number of police calls for such offenses as disorderly conduct, underage drinking and criminal damage to property.
The Common Council on May 3 met with several city officials, including Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher, to discuss how best to address Spring Splash in the future. Neither the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater nor the city itself formally recognizes the event.
Council member Chris Grady, who lived near the section of the city impacted by Spring Splash, said he witnessed the disorderly conduct throughout the day.
“I watched people stagger past my house with open intoxicants,” Grady said. “It didn’t seem there was enough of a police presence to control the party.”
Otterbacher did not readily have available the number of arrests throughout the day of the event — the information will be shared with city officials at a later date — but she readily asserted this year’s Spring Splash was taxing on Whitewater’s police force.
Because of the demands of responding to various calls, Otterbacher said the department allocated 46 hours of overtime staffing within a 24-hour period.
The Walworth County Sheriff’s Department provided limited mutual aid throughout the event — a scenario that raised questions during the recent discussion.
“I don’t have any control or oversight over (the sheriff’s department) budget, but in follow-up conversations, they have been receptive,” Otterbacher said of future collaborative enforcement efforts for these types of events.
Madison’s annual Freak Fest, held along State Street during Halloween, was brought up several times during the recent discussion in Whitewater. Prior to installing greater controls — including fencing off the event and making it ticket-only — Freak Fest had drawn similar concerns.
Whitewater officials are forming a task force to examine what kinds of controls can be put in place for Spring Splash and similar events in the future. A report with recommendations will likely be delivered in June.
Council member Stephanie Goettl, who has attended UW-Whitewater as an undergraduate and graduate student, pointedly stated, “I hate Spring Splash.” But she also cautioned people not to generalize the city’s college student population.
“I really struggle with this conception that this is what UW-Whitewater is all about; it’s tiring,” Goettl said. “I think the vast majority of students in this community are assets.”
Attempts to reach representatives of Wisconsin Red for comment for this story were unsuccessful.
