After spending four hours observing a typical Friday night in Eau Claire, about 30 city leaders, university officials and community members said they have seen an improvement over the years in terms of safety, responsibility and coming together as a community.

“It was different than what I had thought it would be,” said Curtis Goodson of the Third Ward Neighborhood Association. “I felt very encouraged.”

But there is still a lot of work to be done, he said.

The Bridge Campus Community Coalition on Alcohol Issues in Eau Claire organized a neighborhood walk, where Goodson and others observed the positive aspects of the city as well as improvements they say it needs to make.

Participants visited seven different homes near the UW-Eau Claire campus, where residents shared their impressions of how they thought different groups of people interact within the community, said Lucie McGee, assistant city attorney and member of the coalition.

After the walk, organizers held a debriefing meeting at the police department to discuss their observations.

Some of the things participants said they took note of included the number of people walking alone late at night in dimly lit areas.

There’s a false sense of security, said patrol officer Todd Tollefson of the Eau Claire Police Department, adding that even if they are talking on a cell phone, the people on the other end won’t be able to help them if something happens.

In addition to safety issues, participants also noticed trash, including cups, cans, old newspapers and overturned furniture in some of the yards they passed on their way from house to house.

Two area landlords, who were among nine attendees at a second debriefing meeting Saturday morning, said that while it’s the renter’s responsibility to maintain a clean yard, it’s not always easy for them to remember garbage pick-up times and other related ordinances.

“In all fairness to the students, they’re getting (many) notices,” said Scott Gunem, of Caron Management, a rental agency in Eau Claire, explaining it tends to happen especially at the start of the lease.

Jodi Thesing-Ritter, associate dean of Student Development, was one of several university administrators who participated in the walk and said she thought it was an enlightening experience.

“I think the things that we’re doing are working, but there’s still a lot of work to do,” Thesing-Ritter said, citing six or seven student detox cases this semester.

“But to go on the community walk and hear that it’s getting better – that was the shot in the arm I needed to keep pushing ahead.”