Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and City Council Member Abdi Warsame joined MPHA leaders and residents of the Cedar High Apartments to share details of an $825,000 investment in security measures to be put in place this summer.
MPHA began a specific conversation with residents in early 2017, after a series of assaults that shook residents of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, to learn what kind of enhancements could bring a greater sense of security for those who live at The Cedars. One primary problem residents identified is that the grounds are easy to access, and used as a pass-through and loitering place for many people who do not live on the property. A second issue was unauthorized people slipping through doors and gaining access to the buildings themselves.
Residents discussed the importance of being vigilant against letting unknown people into the buildings. And they helped guide MPHA planners and architects to substantial physical improvements, going in during the summer of 2018:
- new six-foot perimeter fencing
- secure, gated entrance to the parking lots
- 17 new security cameras
- extensive glass breezeways and secondary “storefronts” on the existing building vestibules to inhibit unauthorized entry
Below are some comments at the meeting from MPHA Executive Director Greg Russ and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. You can also read/learn more from the the Star-Tribune and watch a story below from KSTP-TV.
