U takes new steps on public safety

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

•••

As University of Minnesota students start a new year on campus, U leaders are wisely expanding partnerships with other agencies to improve safety on and near the Twin Cities campus.

This week, Gov. Tim Walz and U President Joan Gabel held a news conference to announce that the State Patrol will help the U Police Department by patrolling areas surrounding the campus. In addition, the U is negotiating patrol help from Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, hiring additional community safety officers, expanding the Gopher Chauffer program, and adding more street lighting and cameras.

"As students head back to campus, we want them focused on having fun and getting the best possible education, not concern for their personal safety," Walz said at the Wednesday news conference. "By creating partnerships with the university and the State Patrol, we can better keep our students, parents and faculty safe."

Col. Matt Langer, chief of the State Patrol, said he and his officers are "excited to welcome students back and will be visible in the squads" this week to supplement the work of the U and Minneapolis Police Department officers during one of the busiest times of the year on campus. He called the State Patrol's efforts "an extension of the high-visibility patrols that we've done in Minneapolis all summer long."

This week's news followed a previously announced smart step by U leaders: reconnecting with MPD. Following George Floyd's murder in 2020, the U scaled back that relationship. At the time, U officials said MPD officers would no longer be used for football games, concerts or other major campus events. But last week, MPD officers returned to working those events and continue to work on joint patrols and investigations alongside university police.

According to the MPD dashboard, assault offenses in the area have tripled this year to 32, compared with 10 in 2021.

That significant increase occurred even though greater safety efforts started last year. In fall 2021, after an external review of the U Police Department (UMPD) by consultant Cedric Alexander, U officials agreed to implement several recommendations, including holding regular public safety meetings with St. Paul and Minneapolis authorities and equipping UMPD officers with body cameras.

U leaders are continuing efforts outlined in a comprehensive safety plan, including improved pedestrian lighting in Dinkytown, collaborating with nearby neighborhoods and businesses to secure more cameras and lights, and working with city public works on traffic patterns that could include some street blockades.

"One of the many initiatives within our public safety approach has been much-appreciated collaborations with other agencies, including the welcomed support from the state in our partnership with Minnesota State Patrol, as well as the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Minneapolis Police Department," Gabel said in a statement.

"We're thankful that these partnerships will increase patrols in Minneapolis neighborhoods near our campus. Specific to the State Patrol, we are grateful to have their expertise in traffic safety on some of the busiest roads near our campus, areas where we have encountered challenges in recent months."