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Ms. Bettman observed the amount of work that was before the council as it responded to this report. She <br />spoke to the "crisis" that was only relevant to the expectations of the community and questioned what the <br />characteristics of a department should be to attract excellent candidates. Tony Narr responded that the <br />entire recruitment initiative must be one that fully informed the public what the department has to offer. He <br />conceded that such a plan required a budget and a business plan to attract the finest candidates. Mr. Narr <br />spoke of the exemplary plan that has been implemented by the Lakewood, Colorado Police Department. He <br />said that the recruitment process required that all candidates possess a college degree and due to the careful <br />selective process, it was a more attractive department to seek out. Mr. Narr shared that of the approxi- <br />mately 200 officers hired by that department, 56 have gone on to be police chiefs in other municipalities <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman spoke of the recent criminal activity that has occurred within the department and questioned <br />how this activity occurred. Dr. Caeti responded that the team was not able to determine if these unfortunate <br />actions could have been stalled earlier in the process as there was not one reasonable answer for an <br />individual to do these acts over a period of time and not be discovered. He pointed out that invariably when <br />an officer was in the field, he or she was alone. Dr. Caeti stressed that corruption was not an element of the <br />EPD; however, he conceded that field supervision may not have revealed this practice. He opined that in-car <br />cameras can offset such activity, early-warning systems can reveal trends, and the building of the culture of <br />integrity in the recruitment/training processes was key. In conclusion, Dr. Caeti stated that fostering <br />potential candidates at an early age within the school systems was also important. <br /> <br />Mr. Narr spoke to the rise in popularity of early warning systems. He explained that in a non-disciplinary <br />way, this system was a measure of officer trends and over a period of time can flag the need for supervisory <br />assistance to an officer. Ms. Bettman revealed that the Police Commission was currently discussing the <br />possible implementation of such a system. <br /> <br />Mr. Pryor referred to the report and observed that the recommendations were a beginning for the council and <br />the community. He noted that 48 recommendations were operational to the EPD, and the first 9 recommen- <br />dations were policy-related and the responsibility of the council. Mr. Pryor stressed that a strategic plan will <br />provide the basis for departments to build their own plans. <br /> <br />Mr. Poling thanked the team for its exemplary effort and also the community for its willingness to <br />participate in the project. He also thanked the officers of the department for their openness and willingness <br />to improve the image of the EPD. Mr. Poling stressed that the problems within the department were caused <br />by a few officers which unfortunately tainted the entire department. He noted that the council, the City <br />Manager, the Police Chief, and the Police Commission now have the tools to move forward to address the <br />issues at hand. <br /> <br />Ms. Ortiz thanked all participants who helped create the report. She referred to the recommendations put <br />forth in 1997 and voiced her disappointment that they were not acted upon. Ms. Ortiz questioned if the City <br />be in the position it was in today had they been implemented. She voiced her commitment to the recommen- <br />dations that were now before the council. Ms. Ortiz also voiced her concern that the standardization of <br />evaluations has not occurred throughout the City. <br /> <br />City Manager Taylor conceded that the work before this body was daunting but will be accomplished. He <br />said that the issues of the EPD deserve a high-priority level of community, City Council, and management <br />attention and the report provided the foundation to take on this responsibility. He stressed that the council <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 9, 2005 Page 6 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />