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coalition would do a "big splash" message as well. He believed that the connection to education <br />was critical to the outreach. Ms. Nathanson expressed appreciation that the coalition was not <br />"starting from scratch" and had staff and volunteers with the training and skills to collaborate to <br />create a program. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ said that it was sad that a community that prided itself on tolerance found itself in such <br />a position, but he believed that the commission would help in attacking the problem. He asked if <br />the City had the tools it needed in the State crime code and City ordinances to handle <br />enforcement of hate crimes. Chief Hill responded that he was not aware of any gaps. Captain <br />Ryan added that Oregon Revised Statutes contained two intimidation statutes he believed would <br />cover most offenses. He noted that the City ordinances were much broader. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ asked if the victims of hate crimes generally felt supported by the City. Captain Ryan <br />said he hoped so, adding that over the last several years any time a crime was labeled a bias <br />crime it was automatically assigned to an investigator, so follow-up and a personal contact <br />occurs so that the victim knows where he or she could turn. He deferred questions about <br />prosecution to the District Attorney's Office. Ms. Lefkowith said her experience with the Eugene <br />Police Department was very positive and it had been very supportive of her work and her position <br />as a potential target in the community. She said that once the police had completed its work, <br />there was the potential the police report could get "sandbagged" at another level. She did not <br />know if the District Attorney's Office placed a priority on hate crimes or was aggressively <br />pursuing such crimes, and suggested a public campaign might spur more aggressive <br />prosecution. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ said that criminal enforcement was the least effective way of addressing the problem, <br />and suggested the youth leadership forum be asked to provide input. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ asked if the contingency fund allocation should be processed through the regular <br />budget process. City Manager Jim Johnson indicated he would prefer to allocate the funds now <br />rather than in July. The ongoing costs of supporting the coalition could be addressed through the <br />regular budget process. Mr. Pap~ asked if the amount proposed was sufficient. Mr. Rikhoff <br />indicated that research indicated such campaigns range from $7,000 at the Iow end to $40,000 <br />at the high end, and the coalition was attempting to identify a realistic starting amount that would <br />provide a good campaign. He mentioned other agency contributions and in-kind donations, <br />noting that the City's contribution was just part of the total. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ thanked the commission for its educational presentation. <br /> <br />At the request of Mr. Lee, Captain Ryan provided statistics for hate crimes in Eugene, stating <br />that there were 24 in 1997; 49 in 1998; and 25 in 1999. In 1999, 11 of the reported crimes were <br />race-related; 3 were based on religious belief; 10 were based on sexual orientation; and 1 was <br />based on political orientation. <br />Mr. Lee asked for more information about referrals to the Victims Advocates Program. Chief Hill <br />described the program, adding that the City could also call upon CAHOOTS for such services. <br />Mr. Rikhoff added that the Human Rights Support System also was used to assist victims in <br />overcoming their trauma and dealing with the legal system if necessary. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey expressed hope that there would be outreach to young children, such as those in <br />the earlier grades. By the time children reach the third or fourth grade, they were beginning to <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 2000 Page 4 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />