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SAFE COMMUNITY
<br />A community where people feel safe,
<br />valued, and welcome
<br />Civilian Review Process Underway
<br />The Police Auditor established a new office at 800
<br />Olive Street where all intakes of complaints against
<br />the police are now received. An ordinance approved
<br />by the City Council in December 2006 outlines the
<br />duties of the Auditor and the recently-appointed
<br />Civilian Review Board. The five-member board
<br />will oversee the work of the Auditor, provide for
<br />review of defined "community impact cases" and
<br />will also review closed investigations into allegations
<br />of police misconduct. Protocols, contract language
<br />and procedural changes were negotiated with the
<br />police employees union. The process envisioned and
<br />guided by the Police Commission and Ciry Council
<br />is now underway.
<br />Cities Integrate Response Systems
<br />The partnership between Eugene
<br />Fire & EMS and Springfield
<br />Fire & Life Safety now goes well
<br />beyond the previous automatic
<br />mutual aid agreement, as the
<br />departments are operating under
<br />a new "three battalion system."
<br />Generally, a battalion consists
<br />of five or six fire suppression
<br />companies. Eugene has two
<br />battalions and Springfield has one.
<br />With the three battalion system, a
<br />seamless metro-wide emergency response system
<br />has emerged. The departments use a shared set
<br />of standard operating procedures, equipment
<br />numbering system, and command structure. Calls
<br />are assigned for the quickest response regardless of
<br />jurisdiction. Joint training drills have also increased.
<br />The successful casualty-free suppression of the fire at
<br />Gheen Irrigation Works in April was a good example
<br />of the new system in operation.
<br />.` l
<br />much in the past year, both for the
<br />community and for good govemahce.
<br />My colleagues on the City Councilhave cited some
<br />notable accomplishments, which represent a balance of
<br />the needs and desires within our diverse community.
<br />Perhaps my greatest sense of accomplishment comes not
<br />from the specif c decisions we have made, but rather from
<br />the spirit of collaboration and leadership that has guided
<br />our decision making. As elected officials, our primary
<br />job is fo sincerely weigh conflicting issues and values in
<br />order to make the thoughtful decisions that govern our
<br />future. The quality of our decisions depends directly on our
<br />effectiveness as leaders. Our quality as leaders depends
<br />directly on our wipingness to work together. Our movement
<br />toward that goal is what I am most proud of.
<br />Audible Signals Make Intersections Safer
<br />Crossing the street at signalized
<br />intersections is getting safer as
<br />more are equipped with accessible
<br />;~ - pedestrian signals (APS). In 2007,
<br />sl.~- Public Works partnered with the
<br />' ' Human Rights Commission on
<br />~? _ a $250,000 project to install APS
<br />at 25 locations, making a total of
<br />°'°
<br />32 APS intersections in Eugene.
<br />The City has committed to spend
<br />at least $65,000 each year on APS
<br />installations at intersections prioritized by the Human
<br />Rights Commission's Accessibility Committee.
<br />Patrols Get In Touch With Neighborhoods
<br />Police patrol teams are now dedicated to specific
<br />areas of town that follow neighborhood association
<br />boundaries, enabling officers to get to know
<br />the neighborhoods they patrol and the people
<br />who live .there. Officers attend neighborhood
<br />meetings, community events and coiuluet school
<br />presentations. They also take c~~r~tmunit;~ members
<br />on ride-alongs, which provi~lG~ rliG~ opportunity
<br />to share neighborhood ~~rir~rc information.
<br />New Medic Units More
<br />Adaptable, Sustainable __
<br />Five state-of-the-art Advanced 6''
<br />Life Support ambulances
<br />replaced the majority of the ° °- `~-----~.,.
<br />aging medic units on the ;`~ ~ ~'
<br />front line. The new units, ~ ~ ,-
<br />~~,
<br />inco oratin the latest ~~~~`~~
<br />~ g ~,~, :.
<br />in design and equipment
<br />features, were purchased with
<br />medical transport and FireMed
<br />revenue. Larger cargo spaces L_
<br />enable cross-trained personnel to perform firefighting
<br />or other non-medical tasks as needed. The vehicles
<br />will last longer, operate on biodiesel fuel and use
<br />energy-efficient LED emergency lights.
<br />New Baggage Screening
<br />Machines Installed at
<br />~_ ~ -~ Airport
<br />o~ f Four Reveal CT-80 baggage
<br />" scanning machines were
<br />t e '--~ _ ° - installed at the Eugene
<br />-~` Airport. The new equipment,
<br />valued at more than $330,000
<br />per machine, allows for
<br />a higher level of security
<br />with automated explosives
<br />detectioncapabilities. Partners
<br />in this federally-funded project included Oregon's
<br />congressional delegation, the Transportation Security
<br />Administration, and the Oregon Airport Management
<br />Association.
<br />wuckleberry Patrol Targets Graffiti
<br />The Huckleberry Patrol, a new ~
<br />volunteer-driven graffiti abatement
<br />effort, began in May. Team ~
<br />members travel by bicycle in the
<br />midtown area, working in two-
<br />person teams to locate, document, ~.=. ~~~
<br />and remove or paint over graffiti. In . - = ~ "
<br />~_
<br />2007, Volunteers in Policing (VIP) ~, fir':
<br />volunteers contributed over 20,000
<br />hours of service in dozens of ~ ',j
<br />administrative and field positions
<br />throughout the police department.
<br />ion
<br />- ~ ,, 2007 had many highs and some lows,
<br />~~ :but there is one tlevelopmenfin particular
<br />- abouf which I am very excited. This past
<br />spring; a group of citizens in Ward 6
<br />stepped up and orchestrated the resurrection of the Active
<br />Bethel Citizens neighborhood group. They have several
<br />meetings under their belt and attendance grows at each
<br />one. It's ezcitirig far me to help them team about city
<br />programs and services and bring all that information to
<br />our neighborhood. I look forward to the continued revival
<br />of the Active Bethel Citizens and I challenge folks in Ward
<br />6 to come to at least one meeting in 2008 and see what
<br />it's all about.
<br />Partnership Works On
<br />----, Game Day Safety
<br />Eugene Police partnered with
<br />Oregon State Police, Lane County
<br />Sheriff's Office, and Springfield
<br />- Police to saturate the roadways
<br />_ around Autzen Stadium for
<br />targeted DUII enforcement on
<br />- home game days. In tandem with
<br />existing programs that encourage
<br />responsible consumption of
<br />alcohol, such as the University of
<br />Oregon's "Code of ConDUCKt"
<br />campaign, the targeted enforcement effort was
<br />designed to increase the safety of people traveling to
<br />and from the area around Autzen Stadium after each
<br />home game.
<br />Challenging the way we live means .. .
<br />` In addition to using biodiesel in its larger
<br />vehic)~~s; the City bas invested in a large
<br />and continually growing fleet of efficient
<br />and low-emission hybrid vehicles. Fifty-
<br />three percent of the City fleet (excluding
<br />Police vehicles) is now hybrids and this
<br />percentage increases as vehicles are
<br />" replaced.
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