ST. PAUL — Campus and city police forces assured Minnesota lawmakers Tuesday that they’ve stepped up patrols and security features around Twin Cities-area colleges as a response to brash crimes affecting students.

Several law enforcement and college officials told the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee that they’re elevating their presence to try to ward off crime. Reports of sexual assaults and armed robberies have put students, staff and others on edge, particularly near the University of Minnesota’s flagship campus.

“We are very concerned about the perception that our campus is not safe,” said university vice president Pam Wheelock.

The committee chairwoman, Democratic Sen. Terri Bonoff of Minnetonka, said the hearing was meant to discuss what has been working and what else can be done to make campuses safer.

“We are not here to instill fear,” she said. “Rather, we are here to combat it. We are here because we are a community and we have a moral obligation to keep each other safe.”

At the University of Minnesota, the campus police chief said his team has logged more than 200 overtime hours this fall. The city of Minneapolis police force has also added to its patrols of neighborhoods around the sprawling campus.