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The July 19 editorial about public safety in Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota campus takes the easy way out with the obvious position that we all want "a safe campus and surrounding neighborhoods" — without offering new strategies or a community call to action to make that outcome a reality.
In fact, focusing the piece entirely on the U's extensive public safety work — which suggests that somehow the university alone should carry the responsibility of combating rising crime on properties we don't control in a city with its own public safety agencies — only complicates achieving the safety outcomes we all want by dramatically oversimplifying causes and solutions.
Of course there is a role for the university in creating and maintaining safe neighborhoods near our campus, even if these areas are outside our direct control. But it's misguided to focus exclusively on the university's role in this work. Enhancing safety, especially off-campus in Minneapolis neighborhoods, requires commitment and follow-through from many community partners.
The U has always cooperated, and will always collaborate, with all neighboring law enforcement agencies on the patrols, emergency response and investigations necessary to protect the university community.
We also offer a full suite of services to help members of our community keep themselves safe, in addition to millions in new investments to enhance the safety of our campus and surrounding neighborhoods. This is particularly true on campus, because that is our responsibility. As a result of this work, it remains one of the safest areas of the entire city.
But our 48-person University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD) protects an expansive campus that stretches across both the Twin Cities, including a hospital and clinics system, multimillion-dollar research labs, entertainment and large-event facilities, and a host of other facilities and grounds. While we are staffing up as much as possible, we will never be equipped to regularly patrol large swaths of the city of Minneapolis. We routinely respond to emergencies and criminal activity off-campus because our UMPD and public safety personnel are committed to serving and protecting our community. That won't change. Indeed, they deserve our respect and thanks.
