The Corner, a Milwaukee tavern, recently received a $39,724 ticket for overcrowding, according to Anne E. Schwartz, a Milwaukee Police Department spokeswoman.

Schwartz said the ticket was the most expensive overcrowding ticket on Milwaukee city record.

When checked at 2 a.m. Jan. 15, police officers counted 180 people in the bar, 1247 N. Water St. The Corner's capacity is 100, according to Department of Neighborhood Services Spokesman Todd Weiler.

Weiler said the officers who did the check were part of a program that was re-introduced two months ago. The program uses what are dubbed "tavern cars," patrol cars assigned to exclusively monitor taverns.

"Tavern cars choose bars at random and check for many things including posted signs, underage drinking, sale of liquor to disorderly patrons and of course, overcrowding," Schwartz said.

Weiler attributes the re-introduction of tavern cars to overcrowded nightclub incidents that led to deaths in other cities.

The Corner refused to comment. But other local bars do not see the re-introduction of tavern cars or the threat of expensive tickets as a huge problem.

"All bars have had some problem with police officers," according to Phil Burns, a manager at Sweeny's, 518 N. Water St., "but as long as you keep it clean and keep crowds under control (the police) should not be a problem."

Previously the largest recorded fine given for overcrowding in Milwaukee was $28,444, given in April to Thai Joe's Bangkok Orchid. Thai Joes, 2239 N. Prospect Ave., was 116 over its capacity and has since closed, Schwartz said.

When faced with an overcrowding incident, police use a general formula when deciding how much to fine a bar. The bar is fined $342 for the first person over capacity and fined $244 for every additional person over capacity, according to Schwartz.

"The reason the bar is fined more for the first patron (over capacity) is because that is where court costs are accounted for," Weiler said.

The formula used in the past, including in the Thai Joe's incident, was not used in The Corner's case. The Corner received a $39,724 ticket for being 80 patrons over capacity, which averages out to almost $500 per person.

Schwartz was unsure why the fine received by The Corner was steeper than Thai Joe's, even though the latter was further over capacity.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Jan. 27 2005.