Photo by Dave RodewaW
The west University neighborhood is introducing the Safehouse’ part of its crime prevention program
Campus neighborhood begins
new crime prevention program
By David Brown
Of the Emerald
"Fire!" shouted twenty women in a basement
room of Sacred Heart Hospital
"The janitors just about freaked out because
they didn't know that this is part of the class."
says Charleen Maclean, crime prevention coor
dinator for the West University Neighbors
"They all came running in What is it! What is
it!.' "
It was "voice projection" practice, part of a
class designed to educate women on rape
prevention
Cries of "help" or "rape" might draw apathy
or fear from bystanders, "But fire, most people
just automatically respond to in a positive way,"
Maclean explains
The class is part of the West University
Neighbors' crime prevention program
In a high density neighborhood where the
population fluctuates from 4,000 to 7,000
students every year, crime prevention can present
problems, Maclean says
Lack of community organization — neigh
borhoodness — coupled with the finding that
"most violent crimes happen to or are committed
by persons of 15 to 29 years of age," produces a
high crime area, Maclean says
But the West University Neighbors have
banded together to prevent their neighborhood
from becoming a high crime area
They have developed a prevention program
which has claimed some successes over the past
four years in an area that abuts the University The
neighborhood extends nine blocks from Kincaid
Street to Willamette Street and ten blocks from
East Broadway to East 19th Avenue
The crime prevention program offers instal
lation of dead-bolt locks — the only charge is for
the price of the lock — to residents who arrange a
home security check The check is performed by
the Eugene police department's Community
Officer Patrol, which promotes crime prevention
and community education
Since the program's inception in 1978,
reports of residential burglaries in the west
University neighborhood dropped from about 150
to 82 last year Most of that decrease was in
non-forced burglaries
But west University neighborhood reports of
bike, auto and other thefts rose significantly from
628 in 1980 — including 20 auto thefts — to 756
last year — including 31 auto thefts Police
records showed a city-wide decrease of reported
thefts during that period to 4,005 in 1981, 192 of
which were auto thefts
"Whenever we can, we set up bike marking
booths And that’s free to anybody who wants to
have their bike marked We do that a lot around
the University," Maclean says
The number of bicycle thefts reported in the
neighborhood rose from 155 in 1978 to 282 last
year
Burglary and bicycle theft are main concerns,
Maclean says, but “rape prevention is still a very
important focus of this program." Police records
show a city wide increase from 39 reports of rape
in 1980 to 46 last year, despite an over-all decr
ease in crime reported in the city. Meanwhile,
reports of rape in the west University neighbor
hood fell from 11 in 1979 to one 1 last year.
Those numbers, Maclean cautions, represent
only a fraction of rapes actually committed.
This year, reported rapes and other sex
offenses have decreased on a city wide scale But
that may not be because of a decrease in crime,
according to an internal city memo from Police
Chief James Packard
"We do not know if these totals reflect fewer
incidents or fewer reports of incidents. We su
spect it is the latter . the memo states.
Actual incidents of rape on a national scale
could range from five to 10 times the numbers
reported, according to 1980 FBI figures
The greatest decrease of reported rapes in
the west University neighborhood occured in
1980, the year in which convicted rapist John Paul
Continued on Page 24
10% OFF
ANY
PURCHASE
With This Coupon
Quality Fabrics, Full Line of Patterns,
Yarn & Needlecraft,
Special Group Orders Welcome
n
i
i
18th & Willamette
343-9907
ffome
FABRICS
ON* STOP %i'f» SHOP
Expires Oct SI. I M2
Store Hours
9-6 Mon-Sat
Sun 12-5
Casanova Was The Expert
200 Years Ago
This notorious lover knew a lot about birth
control. He used a primitive form of condom
made of sheep's gut which he kept in place with
a narrow pink ribbon. He called this device
overcoat'
Planned Parenthood
is the expert today
We offer
confidential, professional health care for
women and men. All birth control methods and
supplies at low cost: pill, diaphragm, I.U.D. foam,
diaphragm jelly, Encare, condoms,
basal body thermometers
• Pregnancy tests
• Yearly gynecological exams
• Treatment for vaginal or bladder infections
• Breast exams • Pap smear
• Test for anemia and diabetes
• Blood pressure check
• Venereal disease test and treatment
Counseling and referrals on adoption, abortion,
birth control, sterilization, infertility
You can visit us at 134 E. 13th (near campus)
or call us with your questions:
344-9411 or 344-1611
A United Way Agency
767 Willamette St.,
(across from Sat. Market)
This Coupon Is Good For 2 Sweaters Or
2 Pairs Of Pants Cleaned For
The Price Of One
821 East 13th Avenue
Eu3ene, Oregon 97401
Tel (503) 345-6321
370 East 40th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97405
Tel (503) 343-3612
DRY CLEANING . DRAPERIES . ALTERATIONS
Coupon good through Oct. 31, 1982