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Referring to other recommendations in the report, Mr. Brown spoke to the department's strategies <br />for alternatives to police response, including CAHOOTS, the false alarm verification ordinance, <br />and the Senior Patrol Group. <br /> <br />Mr. Brown also encouraged the continuing proactive traffic enforcement efforts conducted by the <br />department, citing the recent pedestrian safety operations as an example. <br /> <br />Mr. Brown said the commission recently heard a presentation by Terry Smith of the Police <br />Department, who indicated that western states' spending for police had not kept up with growth. <br />Police staffing in Lane County was next to last of all Oregon counties. Eugene's Part 1 crime <br />index indicated eighth highest in a comparison of the 20 largest cities in the United States. He <br />encouraged the council to hear the presentation, saying it argued a systematic failure of cities to <br />provide effective public safety services. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey solicited comments and questions on the information provided by Mr. Brown. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said he was pleased that the commission was willing to take on the topics of substance <br />abuse and treatment and hoped that the commission would make progress on the topic. He said <br />that substance abuse was an underpinning of the community's high level of Part 1 crimes. Mr. <br />Kelly urged the commission to ask the council for help when appropriate. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly suggested that issues such as the false alarm verification ordinance could have long- <br />term adverse impacts on community-police relations. Mr. Brown indicated the commission had <br />space on its work program for emerging issues and would be willing to take on the topic. Mr. Kelly <br />suggested the commission's involvement would have been more meaningful earlier in the <br />process. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said that the commission had quickly become an effective body soon after its <br />inception. He appreciated the commission's approach to the community survey regarding <br />community policing. He said that the commission's questions were clear and resulted in clear <br />responses. He said that he frequently received complaints, particularly from Santa Clara, that the <br />police were not visible, and he agreed that police visibility was very important. People wanted to <br />see officers in their neighborhoods. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said the City had created a high level of expectations for its citizens in terms of its <br />response to alarms. He said that a citizen's installation of an alarm had obligated a police <br />response, but that was not how the City generally did business. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner commended the commission for its good work. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson said that the alarm issue had a relationship to community policing in that it freed <br />up the police for a response to a crime. She asked City Manager Carlson to provide the council <br />with more information on those alarm companies and property owners not concerned about the <br />change. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson asked the commission to share her thanks and congratulations with the Senior <br />Patrol Group. She asked about the logistics of scheduling a commissioner, staff member, or <br />member of the Senior Patrol to visit neighborhood meetings. Mr. Brown said that no protocol had <br />been established for such visits in terms of the number of those in attendance at such meetings. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 23, 2002 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />