Overall, Madison is a very safe city. However, as with all cities, be cautious at all times and pay attention to your surroundings. The downtown area is well populated and fairly well lit. South Madison is considered to be the "bad" part of town, and has a higher crime rate than the rest of the city. The areas that are recommended to avoid at night are isolated bike paths/alleys, Allied Drive, Badger Road, South Park Street South of Regent Streetand also Britta Drive, Britta Parkway and Helene Parkway in the Dunn's Marsh Neighborhood. Bright red emergency markers are posted around campus and the Lakeshore Path; press the button and the police should show up very quickly.
The Madison police are generally lax on drinking and rowdiness. However, they significantly step up enforcement during the weekends of Halloween and the Mifflin Street Block Party, and have even brought in riot police to disperse nonviolent crowds. Hundreds of arrests are made every year during these two events. The police will not hesitate to arrest you for extremely minor offenses - the most common being underage drinking, open containers in public, and public urination. Do not urinate in public under any circumstances the police check alleys and corners for this specifically, and if you're underage, don't get obscenely drunk and call any attention to yourself. During Mifflin, make sure you drink only on private property; the police will immediately arrest anyone who attempts to walk down the sidewalk or cross the street with an open container. Out-of-towners make up a significant portion of the arrested every year, and the city responds by clamping down on the students - don't ruin Madison for the rest of us! Be advised that crimes do occur during the Mifflin Block Party. In 2011, there were two stabbings. Robberies, assaults and sexual assaults have also occurred in past years.
A tip to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists: Each should always be on the look out for the other two. This is especially true downtown and in the area of the UW campus. Cars racing through red lights as they change, pedestrians crossing streets in the middle of the block with traffic present, and bicycles running red lights and weaving in and out of traffic are all commonplace, along with a number of other similar behaviors. Also, pedestrians on and near the UW campus should always be on the look out for students driving mopeds and scooters on sidewalks; even though this is illegal in the City of Madison it is quite common.
Madison Public Library
All Madison public libraries offer free wireless internet access. Computers with internet access are also available, but time limits may vary.