Metro Transit police, partner agencies announce initiative aimed at fixing Green Line safety problems

Metro Transit police unveiled a new collaborative effort on Wednesday to improve safety along University Avenue and for riders of the Green Line light rail, which includes increasing the rail line’s police presence.

Interim Chief Joe Dotseth told reporters his goal is to turn the light rail line from a “point of concern” into a “model of transit safety excellence.”

“Let me be crystal clear: Everyone who travels and works in our system deserves and will have an experience that is consistently safe, clean and welcoming,” he said at the press event at the corner of University and Snelling Avenues.

The Green Line, which runs between the Twin Cities, has been criticized by some residents for the variety of crimes and nuisances they observe on it and in the stations. That includes drug use, people blaring loud music on speakers and fights breaking out.

The issues have led to frustrations from some business owners, some of whom said on Wednesday they are skeptical the new initiative will solve their problems that include vandalism, confrontations and public defecation.

“It scares our customers — the few that we have left — thanks to that freaking train,” said Tom Stransky, co-owner of Midway Used and Rare Books, and a longtime opponent of the Green Line which runs by his store.

Several shops along University Avenue now hang up signs outside reminding customers that guns are not allowed inside. In November, two people were shot on the Green Line within the span of nine days, one of them fatally.

The new efforts by Metro Transit and partner agencies has already led to increased officer presence on the train and around the stations. The department is partnering with St. Paul police and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office as part of this initiative, along with a variety of outreach and other non-law enforcement members.

The new effort also puts a focus on connecting people struggling with addiction and those who are homeless with services. Gloria Reyes, deputy county manager of Safety and Justice, said officials want to “reimagine” public safety by bringing together law enforcement, public health, social services and community “to respond to the challenges with ”care, not just enforcement.”

While officials praised the effort, Stransky said he’s skeptical it will address longstanding problems he’s had with people urinating and doing drugs outside of his store.

He said he’s been frustrated by there being too many cases where someone is a public nuisance or vandalizes his business but isn’t arrested or charged.

“We need police presence on this corner 16 hours a day, and we need the laws enforced,” he said.

Last year someone used a bat to smash the glass front door, which Stransky said cost more than $700 to fix. A couple of years ago he started using a buzzer to let people into the store during normal hours.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi laid out some additional efforts carried out by his office and prosecutors to increase the charging rate in the past year, including asking police to better investigate crimes along University Avenue in order for his office to charge.

Since August, Choi said more than 80% of the 111 cases designated as being in the University Avenue corridor have been charged due to those investigation changes.

There were also nearly 16,200 “proactive” calls for police service in the first quarter of 2025 (calls put in by officers), which is a 55% increase compared to the same quarter in 2024.

Other business managers said they either have seen an improvement thanks to the increased police presence or that crime hasn’t been as bad in their area lately. Sabas Adan, a manager of Snelling Avenue Fine Wines, said he’s not had any problems with loiterers.

“Sometimes homeless people just stay outside to ask for money, but that’s it,” he said. “It’s not a big problem.”

Interim transit police chief Dotseth reiterated several times during his remarks that it’s “not just another joint operation.” He pointed to the large turnout of county, police and sheriff’s workers standing behind him as why he’s confident this effort will lead to long-lasting change.

“We are all committed to this on a level that I’ve never seen before,” Dotseth said.