Item A: Downtown Public Safety Issues

Home Browse Search

Illegal and unpleasant behavior 2.– illegal, predatory, aggressive or simply unpleasant behaviors to be around. Mental illness, alcohol and drug dependency and use and misbehavior by young adults and youth combined with too few people downtown who exhibit positive and lawful behaviors. Lack of a cohesive/coordinated plan 3. – including resources such as staff, facilities, treatment and funds to provide resources. Incomplete communication between agencies and unwillingness to step outside immediate assignments plus the sharing of information, scheduling, and joint projects. Aspects of the physical space/environment 4. – the size of downtown, empty store fronts, poor lighting in some areas combined with dark doorways for hiding and illegal activities. The cluster of services and resources for people who are homeless or wish to identify with a homeless- lawless culture. The task team’s final recommendations were informed by an overview of Portland’s successful program that combines a security workforce of retired police officers with Portland Police Bureau officers in a seamless downtown presence. Additional follow-up with Portland contributed to some of the recommendations that can be adapted to Eugene’s current resources and problems in the downtown core. Chief Pete Kerns and PDD Executive Manager Susan Muir presented the findings of the Downtown Safety Task Team to the City’s executive team in January. The City Manager and the executive team then used the report to make short- and long-term recommendations for Mayor and City Council consideration that will address safety and improve the livability and vitality of our downtown core. The recommendations include a mix of strategies, some that the City Manager recommends implementing immediately. (See attachment B for the complete list of recommendations.) The short-term projects that could be implemented immediately include: 1.Coordinating various law enforcement efforts with private security and social service resources 2.Developing an ordinance or mechanism to address sale and consumption of fortified wine and malt liquor 3.Automating behavior crime reporting 4.Proposing modification of business improvement district fees 5.Reviewing the Downtown Public Safety Zone ordinance to assess effectiveness and consider amendments The long-term strategies are essential components of any significant change to the downtown core issues. Simply addressing Eugene’s downtown by implementing only the short-term strategies will not meet the recommendations of the Downtown Safety Task Team or the executive team and will not be capable of achieving a meaningful and comprehensive approach to downtown’s complex and persistent social and public safety issues. Funding resources are needed for the long-term strategies. At the center of the recommendations is the creation of an “umbrella strategy” to develop and coordinate a clearing house for non-emergency downtown issues and centralize public safety personnel. The remaining key strategies include: the addition of jail beds, beds (housing) for people who cannot stop abusing substances and are currently living on the streets, the addition of police officers to provide a downtown police team, downtown work crews to clean the downtown and provide employment opportunities, seasonal and more consistent lighting and enhancement to the City’s Cahoots contract to provide additional services for people experiencing mental health issues. Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100127\S100127A.doc