Community Update from Mayor Rhodes-Conway (August 1)

For Immediate Release 
August 1, 2026 

"The City of Madison is preparing for a respectful transition at Williamson Street and Baldwin Street. Many in the community are asking for artwork and memorial items at the site to be preserved, and the City intends to honor those requests while working with Corey's family and the broader community on a long-term plan for a memorial.  

The Wisconsin Department of Justice's Criminal Division Investigation (DCI) is independently investigating the death of Corey Ruiz. The Madison Police Department is fully cooperating but not in charge of the investigation. It cannot make any arrest decisions pertaining to this investigation and cannot make recommendations for any charges. That authority rests with the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Dane County District Attorney. 

There will be many opportunities — involving multiple government entities — in the days and weeks ahead for people to engage in and advocate for change in our criminal justice system. The City remains committed to creating opportunities to talk about and make changes to policies and programs that are under the City's jurisdiction. There are opportunities to make change at the state level as well. There are many existing nonprofits, faith groups, and networks working to advocate for criminal justice, policing reform, and alternative emergency response systems. We encourage people to engage with them.  

The group gathering at the intersection is increasingly made up of people who are experiencing homelessness. The grassroots energy to support our unhoused community is also present, but it needs to be directed toward bolstering existing services — not undermining those efforts. The City and the County have worked hard for years to improve services to those experiencing homelessness. There are many nonprofits and groups that support the unhoused community, provide substance abuse and mental health treatment, and advocate for better services and more housing. Our entire community should be rallying around the soon-to-be-opened Bartillon men's shelter with our people-power and pocketbooks. This first-of-its-kind, purpose-built shelter is currently a partnership between Dane County, the City of Madison, Porchlight, and Shelter Friends of Dane County. It can be an anchor for services for the unhoused community, with your support. 

What remains true is that the occupation of the intersection is neither a safe nor a sustainable solution for the unhoused or the surrounding community. It cannot make the independent investigation move faster or change state law. At this point, it is distracting rather than supporting the dialogue and organizing that need to happen to make lasting change. And it is deeply harming the Marquette neighborhood. The barricades must come down; people need to be able to access their homes and jobs so they don't lose them; and businesses need to be able to open. 

The City's goal of a respectful transition can be accomplished right now if the folks on the ground take action. The barricades need to be deconstructed. The vehicles obstructing the right-of-way need to be moved. The vigil site and other memorial items need to be preserved and/or situated in a manner that allows for a newly thought-out traffic pattern. The tents need to come down. The City can help with all of that, and stands ready to work with anyone on the site willing to act now to move in that direction. We need community support and action to move productively forward." 

— Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway