By Will Wright

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Lexington police will ramp up officer presence near campus on weekends in response to the shooting of UK student and Kernel photo editor Jonathan Krueger early Friday morning on East Maxwell Street.

Residents of the neighborhood contacted Jake Gibbs, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County council member of that district, with concerns for their own safety.

Gibbs announced at a recent council meeting that Lexington police would respond to the concerns by ramping up their presence during times when students are out and about.

The plan, Gibbs said, is to add an extra two to four officers on certain nights.

“That’s the time a lot of people are going out to bars,” Gibbs said. “I think that should make people feel a little bit safer over there.”

The officers will patrol in police cruisers and on bicycles, he said.

Lexington police spokesperson Sherelle Roberts said the higher level of patrols may not be permanent, but that the policy would continue as long as it is needed.

“Any time we have an increase in enforcement activities it is based on need and we will continue this as long as it need is apparent,” Roberts said. “The citizens in this area had a demand for this service and we are filling that demand.”

UK Police will not increase enforcement, said UK Police Chief Joe Monroe, but the department does plan to be on alert for suspicious activity.

“We’re keeping the same patrol levels, but we’re going to be more vigilant with people who look like they don’t belong on campus,” Monroe said.

Depending on the time of day, UK Police has anywhere between four to 10 officers on patrol, Monroe said, and the department has added seven new officer positions in the last two years.

Gibbs said he used to live in the neighborhood where Krueger, an integrated strategic communication junior, was killed.

“When I was in graduate school I lived like 50 feet from where that poor kid got shot,” Gibbs said. “I worry about people being afraid to walk the streets. I know people are shaken up, but I don’t think there’s any sort of sustained violence in the area.”

Mackenzie Pierce, a communications junior and friend of Krueger, lives within a block of the scene of the shooting, and said she often walked down the same stretch of road.

The shooting did cause worries of safety, she said, but the quick response of police was reassuring. Police arrived on the scene two minutes after Krueger was shot, police said.

“A couple of us were still awake. Before it ever crossed (our minds) what happened there were three or more cops. That kind of helped the not feeling safe,” Pierce said. “I feel like (the increased police presence) will be good as long as the increased patrol is focused on keeping people safe. I feel like they might just get a bunch of people in trouble for drinking and going out.”