U president orders more police patrols after rash of robberies, assaults

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler pledged Tuesday to increase police patrols following a rash of robberies and assaults on and near campus, including an armed robbery attempt in a classroom building on Monday that left students shaken.

Kaler announced the new security measures in a campus-wide letter in which he said he's angry and frustrated about the crimes, which he called "troubling and disturbing."

On Monday, a man approached a woman in Anderson Hall and showed her a gun before demanding her backpack and then fleeing. He remained at large on Tuesday.

Kaler said he met last week with the chiefs of the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis Police Departments to talk about ways to enhance campus security

University of Minnesota Police have issued nine crime alerts since Aug. 1 covering a total of 14 robberies, many of them involving armed robbers. The police have had some success, arresting three suspects following a spree of robberies on Halloween night. Two of the suspects were identified by victims as being among a group of males who assaulted and robbed several students at 1:20 a.m. Nov. 1 near the intersection of 14th Avenue SE and Sixth Street SE.

The full text of Kaler's letter is below:

From the Office of President Kaler

There is nothing more important to me than knowing that every day we are all working and learning on a safe and secure campus. The rash of recent robberies and other crimes near and on our Minneapolis campus is troubling and disturbing, and it angers and frustrates me.

Yesterday's attempted armed robbery of a student on the West Bank was especially troubling. We were able to get the word out quickly via TXT-U, social media, and our homepage, but we can and must do more to deter crime and enhance your safety.

While this is overall a safe campus in a safe city, our campus is open and public, and many criminals perceive our students, faculty, staff, and property as easy targets.

Last week, Vice President for University Services Pam Wheelock and University Police Chief Greg Hestness met with Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau to discuss our concerns and how to enhance our joint efforts to ensure safety near and on campus. I also have requested a meeting with Mayor-elect Betsy Hodges to discuss campus safety and other University issues.

Today I asked VP Wheelock and Chief Hestness to continue to step up their work and to take the following enhanced measures to ensure safety:

Please remember that safety is a shared responsibility. We are a community, and it is important to look out for one another. There are some things you can do, too, to be alert to the possibility of a crime. Among them:

If you haven't done so already, sign up for TXT-U. This is a primary means of communication during emergencies. You can add two additional numbers to your account, so please consider adding loved ones who want to stay informed - parents, spouse, or other family members.

Additional public safety resources can be found here.

Promoting the safety of our campus community is one of my most important responsibilities and one I take very seriously.

Eric W. Kaler
President