As Dinkytown develops, additional security is necessary to maintain safety and guarantee continued growth.

A new security plan developed by the Dinkytown Business Association is a good step in this endeavor. The plan details include four additional police officers patrolling 14 nights, labeled as high-incident occasions for the Dinkytown neighborhood. These include popular sporting events and Spring Jam — which erupted into a now infamous riot in 2009. At these events, our campus should be a proud representation of our values as we host numerous families and tourists from out of town.

This plan is especially important as Dinkytown continues to grow and change into the University of Minnesota community’s entertainment district. With the addition of the light rail going through campus, security problems — trespassing, vandalism, robbery, etc. — will only be exacerbated. This is a critical point in Dinkytown’s early stage as a developing entertainment district, not entirely unlike Uptown; thus, detriments to its image as a place for students, tourists and other shoppers is to the advantage of the University community to invest in.

This plan can only be successful with a community of Dinkytown businesses footing the bill, as well as support from the neighborhood. We urge the businesses of Dinkytown to fund this measure because it is a necessary stepping stone for the future of the neighborhood, as well as minimizing numerous security threats to students and business owners. The University community is familiar with crime near and on its campus — we shouldn’t allow our neighborhood to foster fear of criminal activity.