May 2025

Campus Community,

In this edition of the DPS Newsletter, I would like to highlight our efforts in improving public safety during the 2024-2025 school year.

We have worked to create an environment, both on and off campus, in which our community members both feel and are actually safe.

These efforts are a collaboration between the Department of Public Safety, the University as a whole and our many law enforcement partners.

We are proud of the enhancements we have made this school year.

Good luck on finals and enjoy your summer,

Interim Chief Erik Swanson

Department of Public Safety

• The Department of Public Safety launched the Off-Campus Safety Center. This is an open study and meeting place for students, faculty and staff in Dinkytown. The center is staffed with Public Safety personnel who not only ensure the space is secure, but can directly link students and staff to resources. The space is open Monday-Friday from 9am - 11pm, accessed by Ucard.

• University Security took over Gopher Chauffeur. Gopher Chauffeur is a free service that provides safe rides for University of Minnesota Twin Cities students. Students can request a ride through the Gopher Chauffeur App. 

• University Security is providing a security presence in Dinkytown. Members of University Security patrol Dinkytown Wednesdays through Sundays from 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. They provide safety escorts, report suspicious activity, and overall give friendly neighborhood interaction with residents and visitors.

• UMPD committed to a year extension of the "Dinkytown Expansion Zone". This is a specific area in which UMPD has partnered with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) to enhance public safety. This area is located around the intersection of 4th Street and 14th Avenue Southeast, a known student housing and commercial district. This started as a one year pilot, but was extended to 2026 due to its success.

• Dinkytown saw significant crime reductions during the school year. See the KARE 11 story about this positive change: KARE 11 Story.

• DPS launched the “Co-Responder” pilot program. The “Co-Response” program is a pilot in which a UMPD patrol officer and our Social Worker respond to specific calls for assistance to deliver dual resources. These specific calls target persons in need of mental health resources, the unhoused etc.

• DPS provided numerous Self Defense workshops throughout the school year. Learn more: publicsafety.umn.edu/self-defense-workshops

• DPS provided numerous Active Threat presentations throughout the school year. This is training on what to do during an active shooter event on campus. Request an Active Threat presentation for your department or group: https://publicsafety.umn.edu/services/community-outreach

• The “Campus Crime” map was launched this school year. This is an interactive map that allows community members to see what crimes have occurred and where. Follow the link: Campus Crime Map.

• Many law enforcement agencies have encountered challenges with recruitment and hiring. See the International Association of Chiefs of Police report on the hiring crisis in the United States: IACP Report. However, the University of Minnesota has been ahead of the curve. Our agency has used grant funded opportunities from the State of Minnesota to hire and defray costs of on-boarding new personnel. See the Pathways to Police Program and the ICEPOET Program for more information. 

• Our Community Engagement Team (CET) continues to make contact with our community and creates outreach opportunities. These events allow the community to interact with the Department of Public Safety and teach the community about the safety amenities on campus. CET posts our events on multiple social media platforms. Please follow our CET events at Facebook, Instagram or X. 

University Security Advisors - Dinkytown Safety

At the start of the spring semester, DPS transitioned Dinkytown safety guide services from Block by Block to University Security Advisors.

University Security Advisors are conducting safe walks, foot patrols, vehicle patrols, off campus safety center coverage and more.

University Security Advisors will be staffed in Dinkytown:



Wednesday through Sunday, 5pm - 1am

Reserve Space at the Off Campus Safety Center

Did you know you can reserve space at the Off-Campus Safety Center? That's right, consider hosting your next student group meeting, department celebration, or lunch at the Off-Campus Safety Center. To reserve space, scan the QR code below or visit the link listed below. We look forward to having you at the safety center!

z.umn.edu/OFSCreserve

Gopher Chauffeur Update: Spring Semester Operations

Our University Security team has been busy providing Gopher Chauffeur Safe Rides since the start of the spring semester to students across all three Twin Cities campuses.

As a reminder, Tuesday, May 13th is the last day of Gopher Chauffeur service this semester. The gopher chauffeur service will resume in the fall.

DPS Video Series: Police Response to Mental Health Calls

This video depicts the police response to mental health calls and includes sensitive content such as suicidality and the potential for violence with firearms. As such, you should only view this video when you are ready to contemplate this content.

This micro training video "The Police Response to Mental Health Calls" shows what happens after a caller contacts 911 for a mental health crisis. Viewers will learn what type of information they'll be asked to provide 911, how police interact with persons of concern, and about the training Minnesota police officers take related to mental health crises.

Extended Study Hours for Spring Finals @ Safety Center

The Department of Public Safety has added some weekend hours in preparation of Spring Semester finals at the Off-Campus Safety Center. Members of DPS will open and staff the safety center for students to come in and study.

The center's expanded hours will be 10am - 6pm on all four days. Come study at the safety center, enjoy some free coffee & popcorn.

Upcoming construction projects impacting traffic near campus

There are three major road construction projects that will begin on and around the Twin Cities campus starting soon and continuing into the fall that may impact your travel near campus. While the projects are managed by external partners the University is working with them to minimize disruption to campus.

🚨Interstate 94 Construction Work (Spring–Fall 2025)

I–94 will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Highway 55/Hiawatha Avenue and the Franklin Avenue Bridge starting in early April through the fall. Ramps along I–94 at Cedar Avenue and Riverside Avenue on West Bank and Huron Boulevard on East Bank will also temporarily close.

🚨University Avenue Construction (Feb–Nov 2025)

University Avenue will be reduced to one or two lanes between 10th Avenue (at I-35W) and Oak Street and buses will occasionally detour around the area.

🚨Bridge 9 Renovation (Mar–Nov 2025)

Bridge 9 (the pedestrian bridge on the Dinkytown Greenway bike trail between West Bank Office Building and the Education Sciences Building) will close. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooterists should use the 10th Avenue or Washington Avenue Bridges to cross over the Mississippi River instead.

For up–to–date information, including detours, visit the project pages: https://pts.umn.edu/projects

Updates & Upcoming Events...

Extra UMPD Patrols in Dinkytown

UMPD extra patrols in Dinkytown will continue throughout the year. You will see an increased presence throughout the Dinkytown/ Marcy Holmes neighborhoods.

Our officers are out with a visible presence at night in addition to increased daily patrols throughout the area.

If you see suspicious or criminal activity please call 911 or report it to the nearest police officer.

Cops & Coffee Events

Thank you all for attending our most recent Cops & Coffee events that were held in April of this year.

We went through a bunch of donuts, a bunch of coffee and hot chocolate! These are some of our favorite events each semester on campus.

Keep an eye on our social media for our fall semester Cops & Coffee announcements!

Mental Health Resources

While early engagement and ongoing support for those struggling with mental health issues is ideal, we have several services available to any student who is in an emergency or crisis situation. These include the University’s 24-hour crisis hotline (call or text), Boynton’s drop-in urgent crisis clinic, and Let’s Talk. These are in addition to connecting students to regular counseling support at Student Counseling Services, Boynton’s Mental Health Clinic or, for those who may need additional support navigating barriers, our Care Program.

Free and confidential mental health support services are also available to faculty and staff.

For an immediate response:

988 - A crisis line available to anyone on 24/7 and 365 basis

911 - Police, Fire and EMS 

Resources for Students:

Boynton Health Comprehensive health care supporting the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of the UMN campus community.

Student Counseling Services Address mental health concerns, academic challenges, and life skill development.

UMN Crisis Line If you wish to talk to someone about what to do in a mental health crisis, call the 24-hour Crisis Line at 612-301-4673.

Help Compass Online Resource Guide Click this link to be directed to the University Mental Health online support page.

Additional Student Resources Click the link to the left to access more resources available to you as a student.

Resources for Staff:

Amwell offers virtual behavioral health care services, including therapy and psychiatry, for medical plan members.

Wellbeing Program You can find resources to help manage stress and enhance your resilience. 

Additional Staff Resources Click the link to the left to access more resources available to you as staff or faculty.

Beyond those resources, here are some training resources that focus on supporting to those experiencing mental health challenges.

Free/open to public (including friends, family)

The “Supporting Student Mental Health” micro training videos teach how to recognize when a student may need support and how to access the right resources.

MentalHealth@UMN: A website where you answer a few anonymous questions to get the right help right now.

Employee/student availability only

Mental health training for faculty and staff to support students is available from Boynton Health.

More student, faculty and staff resources are available on the Mental Health & Wellbeing menu on MyU.

Recruiting & Mentorship

with Christina Mignone

Hey Gophers!

Recruitment has been busy over at DPS! With our spring recruitment campaign live and active on social media, we have been also busy tabling on campus at several locations off campus at local law enforcement skills programs! We just finished hiring processes for Traditional Police Officers and Lateral Police Officers! As we attract quality candidates to our agency we are also looking forward to current and upcoming positions with our agency.

Pathways to Policing is now open until May 29th, if you are interested in becoming a police officer and have a 2 or 4 year accredited degree, or graduating this year, you may qualify for the Pathways to Policing Program.

Here are some helpful links to help you stay connected with our career opportunities. Upcoming positions: Community Service Officer, Campus Security Advisor, Student Security Monitor.  

Pathways Police Cadet

https://z.umn.edu/UMNDPSPathways

Careers Page

https://z.umn.edu/DPSCareers

Learn more about Community Liaison Dillon Gherna here

Community Connections

with Dillon Gherna

Finally, the warm weather is upon us!

Wishing you luck on your spring semester finals, remember to take care of yourself, take adequate breaks, eat well and get rest.

If you haven't checked out the Off Campus Safety Center, I would highly encourage you to do so! It's a super cozy and safe study space for you off-campus.

Our team shares important resources and information on our social media channels, I would encourage you to follow us @UMNPUBLICSAFETY

Additionally, I am here as a resource for the entire University of Minnesota community, building relationships, providing resources, and supporting our collective goals to keep U safe.

Don't hesitate to reach out anytime, wishing you all a very safe and enjoyable summer break! If you are graduating, congratulations on this milestone in your journey!

Go Gophers!

DPS has launched a publicly available Campus Crime Map that shows reported crime within the UMPD patrol jurisdiction. The Campus Crime Map can be located here.

The map indicates the incident type, date reported, location and report number of on campus crimes that generated a police report. Crimes shown on the map include theft, auto theft, burglary, arson, robbery, aggravated assault, criminal sexual conduct, and homicide. The map is updated daily, Monday - Friday. This map includes UMPD reported incidents exclusively.

For MPD incidents, you can use the City of Minneapolis Crime Location Map: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/police-public-safety/crime-maps-dashboards/crime-locations-map/

Campus Safety Resources

BLUE EMERGENCY KIOSKS

If you see the blue emergency kiosks and need help, press the help button.

The blue kiosks directly connect you with a DPS 911 dispatcher and provides the exact location of the kiosk, as well as the ability to view the camera on the kiosk.

There are over 60 blue emergency kiosks on campus located outdoors, tunnels and in Dinkytown.

624-WALK (Safety Escort Service)

Request a safe walk from a trained University Security employee, please call 612-624-WALK (9255), or 4-WALK from any campus phone. You can also visit this link to request online. Available 24/7/365.

RAVE Guardian App

Rave Guardian is a free phone app that provides University of Minnesota students, faculty and staff with access to virtual safety walking escorts and other helpful safety and security resources on campus. 

Active Threat Presentations & Online Training Course

The Department of Public Safety offers an online Active Threat training course through canvas. To take this training, please click the button below.

*Note: You must have a UM email address to enroll in the training*

The police department also offers trainings and information on what to do if there is an active threat on campus. 

To set up an in-person active threat training, please fill out a Community Outreach Officer form and indicate you would like an active threat presentation.

Officer Geoff Chang conducts the trainings at your location.

Scan the QR code or click the button to the take the online active threat training