August 8, 2013 - City Council Newsletter

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Many responses echoed Melissa’s R.’s heart-felt answer: I love recreation because it strengthens our family when we play and explore together. Several responses reflected a personal benefit: Lou said, “It’s fun and it’s good for me.” Sarita told us that, “Adult Ballet has given me more confidence in my physical and mental abilities.” And Lydia told us, “It’s a great way to keep my mind fresh and my body healthy.” Research-backed information on the benefits of recreation which was shared during July supported the patron’s responses. Studies show that recreational activities benefit physical health as well as mental health; it strengthens family and social ties, and people will participate in recreational activities for years because, unlike “exercise,” recreation involves an activity the person enjoys doing. The information on the benefits of recreation got quite an audience. More than 6,650 people saw the posts on Facebook; hundreds more got tweets, read newsletter articles or saw posters and handbills at City community centers and pools. Now it’s clear why everyone loves recreation! The reference librarians at the Eugene Public Library identified and located the research articles on the benefits of recreation. For more information, contact Kathy Madison at 541-682-6342. WJ Skatepark + Urban Plaza Construction Begins Construction of the long-awaited Washington-Jefferson Skatepark project began last week with site clearing and demolition activities. Several tree removals and the demolition of the existing restroom made an immediate impact on the area by opening up sight lines into the park significantly. Construction fencing has been erected and utility work has begun in anticipation of the skatepark construction contractor arriving on site by early September to begin work. The project is a wholesale renovation of the north section of Washington-Jefferson Park, which also includes construction of a new public plaza, renovation of site electrical and lighting utilities, reconstruction of plumbing and irrigation systems, construction of a new restroom, and renovation of park paths and landscape areas. Completion is expected by spring of 2014. For more information about the project, please contact Landscape Architect Emily Proudfoot at 541-682-4915 or emily.a.proudfoot@ci.eugene.or.us. Police Department Implements Blue Team Software A new software system is allowing the Eugene Police Department (EPD) to collect and monitor use-of-force reporting and track vehicle accidents and pursuits. These reports were previously routed via paper by each officer. This new system saves time and money by making the reporting paperless and decreases the amount of time it takes to complete a case. Incidents involving use of force, pursuit, Tasers, K-9 deployment and other actions - along with complaints - are entered by the supervisors at the end of a shift and then routed through the chain-of-command with review and approval at each step. This has increased accountability and oversight as supervisors respond to and document the incidents in the centralized database. Blue Team also allows photographs and recordings to be loaded directly into the system with the incident/complaint, allowing the reviewer to make a more informed decision on the merits of a complaint or the proper use of force. Blue Team was implemented in April 2013, and EPD has begun training staff to work with the program. The new system has moved reporting to the supervisors, which keeps them in the loop, but also allows reporting from the field, in the vehicle, and at the time of the incident, making the reporting more accurate and allowing the officers to get back on the streets faster. In addition, Policy and Service Complaints are assigned through the system for supervisor follow-up, which has eliminated the previous paper system. For more information, contact Captain Karl Durr at 541-682-5252. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 August 8, 2013