The Department of Public Safety is partnering with the City of Minneapolis to offer Dinkytown Alerts starting Friday, according to a Thursday email from Myron Frans, University of Minnesota senior vice president for finance and operations.

The alerts will cover the area off campus east of 35W and south of 8th Street SE. Alerts will be issued for crimes such as robbery, aggravated assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, homicide and active shootings. 

Dinkytown Alerts are separate from SAFE-U notifications, which are used for crime on or near campus and within University of Minnesota Police Department jurisdiction. 

Students, faculty and staff must opt-in through their MyU account to receive these alerts. Community members can download the SAFE-U app to subscribe to Dinkytown Alerts.  

Dinkytown Alerts information will come from the Minneapolis Police Department because the area is within MPD jurisdiction. The alerts will be sent once UMPD receives verified information of active situations, according to the email. 

The alerts will run as a pilot program from Sept. 9 through Dec. 31, after which the University will evaluate next steps.

In addition to the collaboration with the Minnesota State Patrol announced Wednesday, Dinkytown Alerts are another step in the University’s efforts to enhance campus safety.