Burnsville aims to nip crime in the bud

Patrons of Burnsville Bowl shouldn't be surprised to see Mayor Elizabeth Kautz walk in the door. She won't have her own bowling ball and shoes with her, but rather a uniformed police officer.

Just the mayor's not-so-subtle message to owner Bob Hatten that she is watching.

Kautz has been all eyes -- and ears -- since early March, when gunshots rang out in the Burnsville Bowl parking lot during a fight between customers. The incident occurred after a concert at the 1200 Club, a nightclub inside Burnsville Bowl. It led to two arrests and heightened scrutiny from a mayor who intends to be tough on crime and protective of the image the city projects.

"Whenever you [have someone] shoot a weapon in the city of Burnsville, you're going to get a lot of attention," said Tom Hansen, Burnsville's deputy city manager who oversees the police department.

Kautz said she goes on ride-alongs with police at least twice a year and makes it a point to pay visits to areas where trouble has arisen.

Keeping the city safe, Kautz said, is one strategic factor involved in operating a city, along with paying attention to youth, developing and redeveloping, protecting the environment and maintaining the infrastructure.

Each aspect is as critical as the others, and when one falls out of step, it can be detrimental to all, she said.

The March incident was the most recent and serious of a number of calls Burnsville police have had involving the north Burnsville location in recent years.

Kautz pointed out Hatten was renting buses to bring fans of a hip-hop deejay to Burnsville from Minneapolis. She characterized the crowds as a "volatile group."

"Once a neighborhood gets a reputation, then flight happens because people become fearful," Kautz said. "I don't want that to happen."

Hatten agreed to stop busing in customers and to improve security in the parking lot.

The City Council addresses liquor license renewals in June, and as part of a new strategy, city staff will provide it with reports of any incidents at licensed establishments through the first few months of the year. The council then will decide if renewal is warranted.

Kautz sees the latest initiative as part of an ongoing effort to address head-on any spikes in crime. Such efforts coincide with a continuous push to enrich the community with new businesses and amenities.

"The criminal element does not want to go into areas that are vital and rich," Kautz said. "The criminal element is attracted to depressed and blighted areas."

Strategies have been developed in recent years to deal with drugs and prostitution at budget motels and illegal activities taking place in low-income housing. Due to a number of variables -- including a large amount of multi-family housing and a major shopping center -- Burnsville has historically had higher crime numbers than surrounding cities.

Kautz opens her arms to the diverse population of the city but has been quick to remind all of their individual responsibilities to be positive contributors to the community. Case in point: A press conference she held more than a year ago following eviction of several residents from an apartment complex.

"When you live in subsidized housing, it is a privilege, not an entitlement," Kautz said. "I wanted to make sure we had laws in place that addressed that, so that we don't continue to see the criminal activity that puts the lives of the people in the neighborhood at risk or the lives of our officers at risk."

"I want businesses to be attracted here," Kautz said. "I want people who will be working in those businesses to be attracted here. Even in a bad economy we have been able to bring in new jobs. I want that for our people, I want that for our children."