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About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1987)
Neighborhood Watch by Tim McCarthy Crime is not a police problem; it’s a community problem. This was true 15 years ago, before the ex tensive cutbacks in all sectors of society, and its validity has only grown since then. We’ve got 141 officers responding to calls in this community, which breaks down to between six and eighteen officers available at 3 any one time. We’ve got one of the lowest police/citizen ratios in the United States: 1.32 per 1000. Last year, a home or business was burglarized, on the average, once every five hours in Eugene; property loss or damage due to criminal activity cost us over five million dollars - half of that from burglaries. Eighty-eight percent of this was never recovered, and the recovery rate for burglaries alone was even worse. The 911 system has helped, reducing emergency response time an average of two minutes per call, which is frequently the difference between life and death. But nonemergency calls now wait an average of 3-4 hours longer than they did a half dozen years ago. What this Illustrates is that we have been obliged to focus on emergency responses while neglecting the non emergency, service-oriented "A person just don't have a chance anymore" end of the spectrum. You can get a better picture of the scope of the problem when you consider that our communications center handles about 1000 calls a day, of which about. 300 require a response, whether it be In the form of a written report or a tactical team. As the calls come in, they’re prioritized based on the degree of threat to life and property. Nonemergency calls naturally fall to the bottom of the list. Fifteen years ago, Eugene officers had an average of three hours of unobligated time per shift. This was time available not only for basic lunch and coffee breaks, but for more interaction in the community. A follow-up study in 1985 shows that other than for lunch, we no longer have any truly unobligated time. What this means is that the burden has shifted to the citizenry. You are our eyes and ears. The more we work together, the better we can serve you. And the more watchful you are over your own neighborhood, the safer we will all be. in a way, all this means is that we need to return to the degree or awareness of each other seen in very small communities thirty, fifty, a hundred years ago. We are by no means promoting vigilante action, but we are strongly supporting this neighborly community’s participation in promoting its own safety. The neighborliness we encourage can take the form of Neighborhood Watch. This does not involve taking up arms, patrolling on your own, or returning to the days of the Old West. Instead, it refers to an emphasis on preparation, awareness, and cooperation embodied in three important basic steps: •Make a commitment to working with your neighbors to watch over each other. This includes mowing the lawn and picking up the for a newspapers vacationing neighbor, or reporting a prowler in the yard next door. No one knows your neighborhood better than you - except perhaps for the 15-25 year olds who also live in your area. Seventy-one percent of burglars are under 25 years of age, and live within blocks of their victims. •Target hardening. Don’t make it easy for burglars to gain entry. Forty-four per cent of our burglaries last year involved no force at all - burglars were able to walk right in, through an unlocked door or window. Unsecured garage doors were the most popular point of entry. Better locks, lighting, and other security measures will deter the average burglar. •Mark your property. We have engravers to loan you, free of charge, for this Your purpose. Your driver's license number is the identifying number we recommend. Put the number somewhere highly visible; a burglar with any intelligence at all will not take marked property - it’s much more difficult to pawn, and it raises the likelihood of the burglar's arrest. The Community Affairs Division now has, for the first time in a number of years, a Community Service Specialist available to help you coordinate your own Watch. Neighborhood There's a lot of flexibility in how you organize - in fact, it’s entirely up to you. We just want to see it happen! So give us a call and let us help you get started. How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm, Now That They’ve Seen Eugene? The Problem: For almost half a century, young people have been “cruising” in Eugene. This social ritual has survived despite the long-standing irritation of nearby residents, who take no pleasure in the weekly deposits of broken glass, exhibitions of in considerate and/or criminal behavior, or endless, noisy traffic jams. For 50 years residents have grumbled, wondering “who are those guys?” and “what are they doing there?” A study in the early 1980s indicated that over half the cruisers were from the small farm towns outside of Eugene. A significant segment of the drivers are over 18 years of age. They come to the big city in search of fun, excitement - and all the glamour associated with South Willamette Street on a Saturday night. Background: Cruising has been a Friday and Saturday night activity involving most of Willamette Street since the 1940s. After the downtown mall was built in the mid-1960s, cruising confined itself to a com mercial area on the same street about 15 blocks to the south of the mall. The area surrounding the commercial however, is blocks, residential. The “Gut,” as this cruising area is known in Eugene, is adjacent to three of the city's 23 recognized neighborhood groups. In 1977 a task force was formed which included representatives from the adjacent neighborhoods. This evolved into the “Gut” Task Force in 1982 ad dressing the adverse effects of the cruising on the surrounding neighborhoods. The task force developed and monitored an annual action plan to promote responsible cruiser behavior. Over the last ten years the City has implemented many task force recommendations on traffic flow, lighting, and community education to help lessen the problem. In addition, residents have participated in ride-alongs with police officers to gain an understanding of the problems inherent in pa trolling the area. The task force reviewed police statistics on arrests and citations on the “Gut.” This data showed that from January 1981 through October 1983, 53% of the citations were issued to cruisers who live in small, rural communities outside Eugene. During 1984 and 1985 the task force increased its educational efforts to include those communities. The task force also com pleted the following projects: 1. Set up a tent in a parking lot on the “Gut” on a Saturday night in 1983 and surveyed the “Gut” cruisers. 2. Other cities of similar size were contacted about their cruising problems. 3. Published the "Gut Cruisers’ Guide” and dis It tributed to area businesses, all high schools In Eugene and surrounding communities, community centers, and youth-related agencies. 4. Sponsored a “Gut” pride poster contest. The winning posters were distributed to schools and businesses. 5. “Gut Report Forms” were printed, distributed to businesses and published in neighborhood newsletters. 6. Public service an nouncements concerning litter, “Gut” etiquette, etc., were aired on local television channels. 7. News releases pro moting responsible behavior on the “Gut” have been distributed regularly to local newspapers (including high school newspapers) and radio stations. None of these projects have resolved the problem. Citizens continue to com plain about the cruising and want action. Current Situation: In July 1986 the Crime Action Task Force was formed to study numerous public safety problems. The “Gut” Task Force was dis banded and replaced by the CATF Subcommittee on Nuisances. The final report prepared by the Crime Ac tion Task Force was issued in February 1987 and in cluded a recommendation to put more emphasis on en forcement and patrol of the “Gut." CATF also recom mended the formation of an ongoing advisory group on public safety and the Public Safety Advisory Committee was appointed in June 1987. At the first meeting of PSAC on July 23, 1987, it was agreed that the “Gut” would be part of their work plan. Complaints from residents adjacent to the cruising area Increased during the sum mer of 1986 and again as warm weather approached in spring 1987. Some traffic engineering changes have been made since May, in cluding NO LEFT TURN signs for northbound traffic north of 27th and extending the time allowed to make left turns for southbound traffic at Willamette and 29th. Although these traffic changes have provided some relief, the cruising has continued to impact the entire residential surrounding Some area. further traffic engineering changes are currently under study and PFES staff are researching no-cruising ordinances in other com munities. Latest Developments At least on the surface, anti-cruising Portland’s ordinance has been very effective. Their ordinance allows officers to cite motorists for cruising, and for second offenses the same day, vehicles can be towed. The driver would then have to pay both a fine and a towing charge. As soon as the word went out regarding these penalties, the cruisers dispersed. It remains to be seen where they will resettle. Here in Eugene, an en terprising young cruiser has organized his own action: On September 11, he passed out flyers encouraging the cruisers to move from Willamette Street to West 11th. Reportedly, this has had a significant impact on the gut problem, by shift ing some of the cruising to West 11th. By the tall end of the rainy season, we should have a good idea as to whether we need an or dinance, whether the gut has split into two cruising problems, or whether the problem’s been resolved without government in tervention at all. "Background" and "Current Situation" seaions of this report have been directly derived from a City Manager's Office Report. ~The Editor
