Item A: City Council Priority Issue - City Hall Complex

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Attachment D City of Eugene Eugene PoliceDepartment Office of the Chief 777 Pearl St, Room 107 M Eugene, Oregon 97401 EMORANDUM (541) 682-5102 Date: November 20, 2006 To: Mayor and City Council From: Robert M. Lehner, Chief of Police Subject:City Hall Complex – Police Patrol Options In the course of the continuing discussion regarding City Hall replacement, and in response to information from the consultant team of Thomas Hacker Architects and several public forums, the Mayor and City Council have narrowed the options for further development to several concept options on two sites: a full block site where the existing City Hall now sits and a half- block site where the Butterfly parking structure and the Rock N Rodeo restaurant and bar are presently located. In addition to final site selection, the next major decision that must be made to support further development of these options is whether or not to locate the primary police patrol function within the proposed City Hall complex or in some other location. Community Policing Input received at the public forums echoes that received over the course of many months by police commanders attending various public meetings – from the public perspective, the further implementation of community policing matters much more than does the location of the main patrol facility. The work of patrol officers is done in the neighborhoods of the city, not from their offices. They presently report to the patrol facility in City Hall for a briefing meeting, vehicle preparation, and then drive out to their various assignments. At the end of their shift, they return to City Hall to park their vehicles, store equipment, and complete reports. Police patrol officers do not staff City Hall. If a member of the public presents at the public Records counter, an officer is normally called in from the field and responds to City Hall. There is a very limited desk reporting function similar to that provided at the public safety stations. Presently, patrol staff are overwhelmed with reactive calls-for-service demand and have very little available time to engage in proactive, community policing activities. Eugene has adopted and is in the early stages of implementing a neighborhood-based community policing model. The basic geographic district structure has been identified and the first two district commanders have been assigned. As officers are added over time, they too will be assigned to districts and to work with individual neighborhoods and neighborhood areas to engage proactive, problem- solving activities directed toward issues of neighborhood concern. Though this effort is expected to take some years to implement, the basic plan is in place, based on EPD’s Strategic Plan. Fuller development of the community policing initiative is scheduled following completion