MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time, the University of Minnesota's Interim President Jeff Ettinger and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released a joint message acknowledging the crimes that continue to plague Dinkytown and other neighborhoods.
Part of the message to the University community states, "We want to assure you that the University and the City of Minneapolis, at their highest levels, are committed to addressing this issue and will continue working collaboratively to enhance public safety for all."
The two also noted that they're working on long-term plans to restore and maintain a sense of safety in the area.
For some, the concern there lies within the university entering a time of what it calls "leadership transition." The campus community reports seeing a real effort to improve safety recently. They're hopeful that continues, with even more stakeholders, when the next president takes over in July.
"We need to get all of them in a room to sit down, hash it out, and put an end to this once and for all," said Campus Safety Coalition board member Brian Peck. "Until we solve that, Hennepin County is going to continue down the path we’re currently on."
Peck is part of the Campus Safety Coalition that started two years ago, citing rising violence then and now, including robberies and shootings.
"The criminals are getting more brazen and the students are getting more concerned," said Peck.
The group is pushing for change that Peck says Ettinger is committed to making.
"He is taking this serious and he does want to make it better," said Peck. "But we still need to get to the root cause of the crime that's plaguing Hennepin County and that is the repeat, juvenile criminals."
In the joint message, Ettinger acknowledges the frustration and a need for solutions — pointing to short-term updates like more lighting, police patrols and community engagement. Ettinger also says the school continues to explore additional innovative solutions.
"All these other things are great, they're needed and they're appreciated, but they're Band-Aids just kicking the can down the road," said Peck.
He cites a recent survey called the UMN Greek Safety Assessment. There were 427 students of the Interfraternity and Panhellenic community that responded. It found 50.8% of the students reported not feeling satisfied with the current state of safety on campus.
Others, who have lived in the surrounding areas for years, and feel differently.
"They're definitely doing more than just talking the talk," said graduate student Mikayla Botkin about the University. She has been living in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood for six years and says she's pleased with the progress, particularly from police.
"It's pretty common to be seeing patrol cars coming around and doing their rounds, so I think that has made a significant difference," said Botkin.
As for Peck, he now wants Ettinger to meet with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and its board of commissioners, while the University's police chief has proposed opening a safety center in a building already in Dinkytown as soon as this fall.
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