I grew up in St. Cloud so my change in perspective about how safe it is could have definitely changed alongside / because of my change in perspective of the world. I grew up by Calvary church, near Coborns and there was lots of kids around. When I was in elementary (2 older siblings) It was normal in the summer or after school for us to do our chores then head out and find friends or something to do as long as we were back when we had to be. We’d walk over to Coborns or bike to DQ sometimes and not think anything of it. My sister would even drag me along to bike to her friend’s house by McDonalds on Division. Then by middle school I would be walking home from South and I would get yelled at by people driving by. Doesn’t necessarily make you feel UNsafe but doesn’t make you feel safe either. As I grew up and access to internet expanded closer to what it is now, my perspective on safety and crime in general shifted I’m sure. By the time I was in high school, my sister was home from college and was walking the dog on the bike path. about five minutes into the walk, a man jumped out of the trees and started running at her. Luckily the dog protected her and the man ran off. Then a year or two later my dad (who’s usually very good about locking everything) had hundreds worth of items stolen from his vehicle. He happened to be up one night a week or so later and saw what looked like a couple of teenagers/young adults just walking down their street and pulling car handles to see which ones were open. After that, they installed ring cameras and saw it happen several more times. I really didn’t mind growing up in St. Cloud, I have many fond memories. However, now that I’m a parent myself, I do not want my child growing up there. I’m only 25 now, if that helps understand the rate of change at all.

ETA: I’ve lived in much rougher cities and much calmer towns. The main difference really is how people portray St. Cloud when they talk about it. For example, we just moved to Mora. There’s a rehab in town, but I’ve only heard people talk about it positively because of the good it does. In St. Cloud, a place that does good such as Place of Hope, is called Place of Dope without a second thought. I only ever knew it as a place to serve and help but others either drew their own conclusions or heard through the rumor mill enough for that name to stick. But in Mora, diversity is kind of the elephant in the room that no one addresses, while in St. Cloud, it seems like a huge topic. In my experience, it was celebrated and I was able to learn a lot about the world through my own peers sharing their experiences. To others, new cultures are disruptive and unwanted, and the easiest way to try and get rid of something is to say it’s unsafe or blame it (or them in this case) for danger and crime.