A brazen attempted purse-snatching in the middle of the day last week may add to residents’ concerns about the safety of downtown Lawrence.

Local residents have most often cited security concerns in downtown late at night or early in the morning, but the recent attempted robbery behind a downtown business just after 11 a.m. in the morning raises questions about the safety of downtown even in broad daylight.

A Lawrence woman reported she was accosted by two young men, who attempted to steal her purse. After a struggle, she succeeded in hanging on to the purse and the two men ran away. Shortly after that, police arrested two suspects, ages 16 and 19, both carrying concealed weapons, near 10th and Rhode Island streets.

The quick police response to this incident is heartening, but the attempted theft surely was unsettling to the victim as well as other local residents. Downtown security has been a topic of considerable discussion among city officials, but a daytime incident like this one should heighten their concern.

Lawrence officials and residents talk constantly about what a gem our downtown is and how important it is to protect its special charm. We talk about parking, movies, events and all manner of ways to draw people to the area. However, no amount of effort to beautify or energize downtown will make much difference if people don’t think it’s safe to go there.

Safety is an even greater issue if downtown is to attract more residential development, a trend that many observers think is essential to its long-term economic success.

Perhaps the purse-snatching attempt was an isolated incident, something that could have happened anywhere, but the fact that it occurred in downtown Lawrence in broad daylight highlights for city and law enforcement officials that safety – at all times of the day and night – is a key element to preserving Lawrence’s downtown ambiance.