HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.19.2019 City Council Work Session MinutesMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Harris Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97401
June 19, 2019
12:00 p.m.
Councilors Present: Jennifer Yeh, Alan Zelenka, Chris Pryor, Claire Syrett, Mike Clark, Greg Evans
Councilors Absent: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor
Councilor Pryor opened the June 19, 2019, work session of the Eugene City Council in Mayor Vinis'
absence.
1. WORK SESSION: Annual Report from Police Commission
Police Commission Chair Bill Whalen, Incoming Chair Sean Shivers, and Police Commissioner Steve
McIntire introduced the annual report, gave an overview of the Commission's work in the past year
as well as its work plan for the coming year.
Council Discussion:
• Councilor Evans - asked about the Commission's plan to reach out to communities of color,
expressing concern that the outreach has not been as robust as would be desirable.
• Councilor Syrett - expressed gratitude for the Commissioners' service; asked for an update
on the Commission's regular meetings with the City Manager; highlighted that the people
who leave garbage around the river—especially in the summer months - are not always
homeless.
• Councilor Zelenka - wanted to see the City get out information faster about use of force
incidents as it may dispel rumors; would like the City to develop more effective strategies
for dealing with camping other than citing people; encouraged Police Commission members
to attend community meetings and hold their meetings throughout the city.
• Councilor Pryor - noted the role of Community Court in helping people downtown,
especially for people cited for camping; said the Police Commission can help the Police
Department in increasing its level of responsiveness to the community.
• Councilor Zelenka - noted that plans to move the meetings to places outside the Police
Department may make the meetings more accessible.
2. WORK SESSION: Civilian Review Board and Police Auditor Annual Report
Civilian Review Board chair Steve McIntire presented the group's 2018 Annual Report.
Council Discussion:
• Councilor Clark- asked about the trending complaint reports.
• Councilor Zelenka - highlighted the format of the report, which includes a summary of all cases
it reviewed; delineated functions of the Police Commission and the Civilian Review Board
• Councilor Pryor - shared his appreciation for systems of auditing like the City has with the
Police Commission and the Civilian Review Board in which there are two sets of eyes on an
issue; noted the increase in internal complaints registered as being a sign of the health of the
system
MINUTES - Eugene City Council June 19, 2019 Page 1
Work Session
Police Auditor Mark Gissiner introduced Deputy Police Auditor Leia Pitcher and Community
Engagement Coordinator Beatriz Hernandez. He offered some historical context regarding the
change in police chiefs, the adoption of body -worn cameras, efforts to improve customer service
over time, and gave a brief update on his budget. Beatriz Hernandez gave an overview of the Police
Auditors Office outreach efforts; Leia Pitcher gave an overview of the service complaints in 2018.
Council Discussion:
• Councilor Syrett - asked whether the Police Auditor spoke with new recruits; asked
whether the office had a need for funds to deal with the increased workload, especially
reviewing the body -worn camera footage; asked for the historical context for the use of
force numbers in the report and what percentage of those were internal or external.
• Councilor Zelenka - noted that Eugene's complaint numbers seem higher than elsewhere,
which is an indication of trust and confidence in the process but can make comparisons to
other cities difficult and result in headlines.
• Councilor Pryor - said the report confirmed the need for more public safety funding; noted
there were very few serious complaints even with the high numbers of complaints
compared to other cities; thanked staff and Commissioners for their work.
The meeting adjourned at 1:11 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Forrest
City Recorder
(Recorded by Cas Casados)
Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting here.
MINUTES - Eugene City Council June 19, 2019 Page 2
Work Session