Progress made during first two months of safety updates at University of Minnesota

At the beginning of the semester, in September, the University of Minnesota rolled out updated safety measures on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods to help combat a recent rise in violent crimes in those areas.

Part of the beefed up security measures included more police patrols with the university police department and Minneapolis Police.  More cameras and improved lighting were implemented and there have been two campus safety walks.  For two weekends, two streets in Dinkytown were blocked off to prevent street racing.

Henly Godnai, a junior at the U of M, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS she has noticed the new security measures.

“I mean I have noticed the extra lights that they have put up around here and they blocked off the roads which was something that I thought was really good,” said Godnai.

Meera Watson told KSTP she likes having the extra patrols and the improved lighting, but said she still doesn’t feel any safer over the past two months.

“You pretty much only feel safe if you’re, like, walking with a big group of people,” said Watson.  “Like, walking home no matter what—just like any girl—you don’t feel safe no matter what.”

Lori Weinke, general manager at Nautical Bowls, told KSTP her business had been burglarized twice within a month.

“The first time they were in and out in three minutes and took both our safes and that was getting through three doors,” said Weinke.  “I have 19, 20 and 21-year-olds working here and so it rattles them. It rattles their parents.”