Hopkins PD works to make people feel safer after concerns about crime off Blake Road

HOPKINS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police are working to make people feel safer in a busy area in Hopkins after a handful of incidents over the last year.

The department also explained to the community how it's honing in on specific violent offenders wanted in the Metro area in hopes of getting them off the streets.

Ask the people who live off of Blake Road in Hopkins, and they’ll tell you it's got a lot of potential.

"There's a lot of buildings going up. The light rail is coming. A lot of residential area. I think there's going to be 11 or so buildings or a bunch of apartment complexes here. So it's definitely growing, and it's going to be growing for years to come," said Hopkins resident Tchad Henderson.

But the busy stretch of road between Highway 7 and Excelsior Boulevard also has had its issues in the past, including a homicide last year.

Hopkins police said for 20 years, they've been working with non-profits to reduce crime off Blake Road. But despite those efforts, people remain concerned about the crime.

"It seems like there's just more crime in recent years, and hopefully, they can get a handle on that," said Hopkins resident Wendy Ahles.

At a community public safety meeting Thursday, Hopkins' police chief explained that violent and property crimes have only slightly increased from last year, and across the city, overall crime is actually down from 2021. But the perception of crime is important to him.

"We just need to keep focusing on the statistics and on those crime hotspots where we can actually make a difference by being there and deterring that crime," said Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson.

One of Johnson’s biggest frustrations is the repeat violent offenders committing crimes in the west Metro.

"It's a very small percentage of the population that does the majority of the crime," Johnson said.

So over the last month, Hopkins police have started a targeted approach in the Blake Road area and throughout the surrounding communities.

"Last week alone, we made 10 felony arrests in an afternoon with St. Louis Park Police Department and the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force," Johnson said.

The chief also knows that things like thefts from cars remain an issue. It's happened to Ahles twice recently.

"It's just kind of a nerve-wracking now for your stuff to be gone through," she said.

Hopkins police also said public safety meetings and community engagement are really important, so they can sit back and listen to the issues going on.