On Wednesdays this summer, you may see a gaggle of residents walking in the neighborhood. The Lynnhurst Neighborhood Safety Club – formed by longtime resident Julie Wicklund – seeks to proactively connect neighbors, businesses, the larger community, and law enforcement to make Lynnhurst as safe as possible. The group meets every other Wednesday (alternating between a noon and 5:30 p.m. start) at the Lynnhurst Rec Center, then heads out to walk, usually for about an hour.
At one of the first outings in May, the group walked to Lake Harriet, picking up trash and sticks along the way. On another outing, the group, joined by 5th Precinct Crime Prevention Specialist Faith Amdahl, visited the businesses at 50th & Bryant.
“Faith asked if they had any concerns and gave them her business card to let them know what resources are available for issues such as break ins, theft, and loitering. She encouraged those businesses to start a text chain to keep each other notified of what’s happening in the area,” says Julie. “Even though we’re not seeing huge spikes in crime, this is a way to keep in front of it.”
Faith tries to attend walks as often as possible, along with Community Service Officers when they are available. Likewise, 13th Ward (and Lynnhurst) City Council Representative Linea Palmisano or her staff try to join when possible.
How it All Started
North Loop resident Aileen Johnson started the first Minneapolis Safety Club in 2021 when her neighborhood was experiencing an increase in crime. Her mission was to bring neighbors, businesses and police together in a spirit of friendship to increase safety and livability. Since then, the concept has expanded to now include about 24 groups/neighborhoods throughout the city.
Julie, a member of the Lynnhurst Livability Committee, had known Aileen for several years, and had been interested in the safety club concept. “Something clicked when Matt Perry, [President of the Southwest Business Association,] spoke at one of our Livability meetings,” says Julie. “He was asking how the Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association could help promote and connect neighbors to local businesses, and it seemed like the right time to form a safety club here.”
Julie is an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, who previously had a role as a Bio-Terrorism Preparedness Coordinator at the Washington State Health Department. “My background is in emergency preparedness. An emergency is not the time you want to be meeting people for the first time,” she says. “As an epidemiologist, we call ourselves disease detectives and during outbreaks we work to identify cases, determine the cause, and intervene to prevent additional people from getting sick. Emergency preparedness is planning and relationship building ahead of the need.”
Join a Safety Club Walk
Attending a walk is a great way to meet Lynnhurst neighbors, business leaders, city officials, and law enforcement members. Regular participants are given t-shirts, and all participants are invited to attend tours and learning sessions with city officials.
Walks are currently scheduled through August and Julie plans to add more this fall. She hopes to organize a happy hour gathering after an upcoming walk. Visit lynnhurst.org to see the latest schedule and to subscribe to E-News to get the latest information emailed to your inbox.
Lynnhurst Safety Club
- Meets every other Wednesday starting at noon or 5:30 p.m.
- Leaves from Lynnhurst Rec Center and lasts about an hour
- Find the schedule at lynnhurst.org/calendar