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<br /> <br />ECC <br />UGENE ITY OUNCIL <br />AIS <br />GENDA TEM UMMARY <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Work Session: Downtown Public Safety Issues <br /> <br /> <br />Meeting Date: January 27, 2010 Agenda Item Number: A <br />Department: Police and PDD Staff Contacts: Chief Pete Kerns, EPD; Susan Muir, PDD <br />www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5102 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ISSUE STATEMENT <br /> <br />This is a work session to review recommendations for public safety policies and solutions in the <br />downtown core. <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />This is a follow-up work session to discuss current public safety policies and recommended solutions to <br />issues occurring in downtown Eugene. Concerns regarding Eugene’s downtown remain an area of <br />continual focus for the Mayor and City Council, as well as staff, and many efforts have taken place. <br />Examples of previous policy work include the council’s goals addressing homelessness in Eugene, the <br />Blue Ribbon Committee to Finance Homelessness and Housing Program’s report, downtown <br />revitalization efforts and the current series of work sessions exploring several key downtown projects. <br />On January 11, 2010, the council discussed downtown projects and funding options related to jobs and <br />redevelopment, parking, attractions and amenities and public safety. <br />The Downtown Safety Task Team co-chaired by Police Chief Pete Kerns and Planning and <br />Development (PDD) Executive Director Susan Muir concluded its November – December 2009 series <br />of six meetings; submitting their recommendations to the City’s executive team in December as <br />planned. The task team determined that while there is no quick-fix solution, most members agree these <br />problems can be viewed in new ways and that the recommendations if implemented, would serve to <br />reduce crime in the downtown core, improve the feeling of safety, and establish an environment that <br />would make the downtown a safe and welcome place for everyone. This group included downtown <br />business owners, youth agency representatives, members of the Human Rights Commission, arts <br />resources and other involved parties. City staff from all departments provided support to the task team <br />and provided research on all strategies that were included in the task team’s report (attachment A). <br />The Downtown Safety Task Team identified four main themes that contribute to problems in the <br />downtown area: <br /> Lack of accountability/consequences <br />1. – size of police staffing for downtown and hours of police <br />presence in the downtown area, community expectations and misconceptions about criminal <br />behaviors, youth behaviors, regional issue of lack of jail beds as a sanction for criminal activity. <br /> Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100127\S100127A.doc <br />