Thursday morning, the Madison Police Department reported the sixth murder in Madison in 2008. Juan J. Bernal, 22, of Madison was stabbed outside the Plaza Tavern following an altercation with another bar patron Wednesday evening.
This homicide comes only two days into the new school year and follows a tragic end to the 2007-â??08 academic year.
In February 2007, the Madison City Council approved the Downtown Safety Initiative, citing the need to decrease crime before and after bar time. The Initiative received $100,000 in funding to increase police overtime on Friday and Saturday nights in addition to the installation of new security cameras in the downtown area.