Crime concerns mount at the U

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

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University of Minnesota parent Brian Peck said he got involved in campus safety issues after 50 shots were fired in a shootout behind his son's fraternity house despite excellent lighting there.

Peck said at a recent meeting that he joined a new group, Campus Safety Coalition, because he believes city and campus officials need to be more proactive about crime.

More than 100 people recently attended the forum in which some emotionally expressed their fears about public safety. While U, city and law enforcement officials took some steps to improve safety last year, it's clear that more must be done to address criminal activity. A more significant law enforcement presence must be part of the solution.

A Star Tribune analysis of Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) data showed that criminal incidents in neighborhoods surrounding the U have been a growing concern. From Sept. 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021, about 2,100 criminal incidents were reported across university-area neighborhoods, up 40% from the nearly 1,500 tallied in the prior academic year. According to the MPD dashboard, assault offenses in the area have tripled this year to 32, compared with 10 in 2021.

That increase occurred despite safety efforts that began last year. Last fall, after an external review of the University of Minnesota 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. (Mayor Jacob Frey recently nominated Alexander as the city's new commissioner of community safety.)

After the June 2021 Dinkytown shooting that left five people injured, more than 700 signed an open letter asking university leaders to work with police to address crime. At the same time, some U students called for the school to cut ties with the MPD, rely more on U campus officers and hold them accountable.

As the Star Tribune Editorial Board has previously argued, this is certainly no time for campus police and officials to cooperate less with the MPD and other law enforcement entities. Because of the overlap of jurisdictions — some areas covered by the MPD and others by the UMPD — they must work together and coordinate strategies.

During the meeting last week, officials said the U has invested more than $60 million on systemwide public safety initiatives in the past two years, and the UMPD has plans to add officers.

U leaders said they have increased UMPD community engagement efforts, hosted a student safety summit, offered self-defense workshops and produced a Department of Public Safety overview video. They're also issuing frequent safety-related e-mails.

In addition, the U administration is convening a Strategic Safety Advisory Committee that will include students, parents/family members, staff and faculty, as well as representatives from the city, the MPD and the UMPD.

Myron Frans, the U's senior vice president for finance and operations, told an editorial writer that the university recognizes that more police are needed. The UMPD now has 48 sworn officers but is authorized for 66 this year and 71 next year. Recruiting is a challenge, Frans said, and the U is prepared to offer incentives such as hiring bonuses to new officers.

"We continue to work with MPD for greater officer presence, and we're working with Hennepin County sheriffs — they've provided some backup on weekends," he said.

The U remains a top American university with a strong reputation for research and academics. A safe campus and surrounding neighborhoods are critical to maintaining that status and recruiting and retaining top students and faculty.