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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1991)
Springtime clashes between city police and partying students in 1989 and 1990 did not return to campus neighborhoods in 1991, an effect many attribute to efforts of a File p#K)io community relations task force that formed two years ago. This photo was taken at a party dunng the spring of 1990, shortly before tear-gas was used. Students, police see fragile relations improving By Dan Eisler Emerald Contribute! Itisl over <i year ago, it seemed oil-cam pus 1 onfrontations between students ami police might become part of University life as much as other revived asper Is from the early '70s Hut unlike the resurgence of Birkenslocks or sideburns, student -po lice i lashes have been kept to a mini mum. with both sides working to avoid a flashhai k to the time of anti war riots As a result, efforts at improved com rmmicetions hy .1 community relations task force have taken the pressure oil the party situations th.it led to the melees of 1 OHO and loot) The task force composed of repre sentatives from the police department, the University, and the community formed in response to lilt1 May 10H0 par ty th.it ended in bottle-throwing and te.ir gas The t.isk force took steps to prevent such subsequent incidents, and exam illed issues such as relations lietween police and students One result has lieen a greatly improved level of communication between police <ind the university community, said Sgt Mike Cline of the bugone Public Safety I Jepurtment Previously, communication between the two sides was minimal, hut both stiles have moved away from .in "us versus them" mode, through talking with various groups and organizations in the community, and with several forums held in the wake ol the clashes, Cline said The task force has also invested a Ire mendous amount ol energy and time in promoting student police cooperation, leading to changes in police procedure and the establishment ol student re spouse teams to prevent similar distur bam es, he said In the (last, a "strike force" ol lour to six officers was dispatched from down town to respond to campus-area com plaints, Cline said Now, when police respond earlier than in the past to complaints, the complaints are investigated by officers assigned to the campus area, whir h Cline hopes promotes mutual recognition ol individuals on both sides Also, whon point- tin- dispatched to a party, their approach is to ask lor a host or responsible partk ipimt. tlhne said in addition, student response teams were established last year to defuse po tential police student confrontations, he said Originally, students patrolled the West University Neighborhood on weekends, (dine said During the lWJO-tM school year, the arrangements were modified for police to page the teams In the event ol a party, and more recently, teams have been notified by cellular phone Idle campus Office ol Public Safely provides the equipment and information, and tlie response teams are called in by Ol’S to provide student to student medi ation, OPS director Cana Drayton said Idle program was extremely effective, and the teams lessened the strain and stall time needed lor police to patrol the area for parties, (dine said “The police department loved it A lot of work has been done by every one to repair potential breaks in the rela tionship. (dine said "Not that we won't continue to have problems, but commu nication is the key to whole thin); " Without these i hanges, the i lashes conceivably could have moved to the se verity of the early ‘70s anti-war demon strations. but thev lacked a vital impera tive, said (dine, who experienced the ri ots of that period "We weren't looking at anything that rallied around a cause,'1 ('line said "Having a wild party is not a reason for the University (community) to get be hind (students) and star! burning build ings " Moreover, the student population wasn't united about the parties panic ularly when it was other students who called to complain about them in the first place, he said In addition, in the 1089 and 1990 dis turbances. police never responded until they received citizen complaints, Cline said, adding that EPD doesn't have enough officers to make loud parties a high priority. Turn to POLICE Page 25 Friendly Foods & Deli l ull Line Grocery • Hot & Cold Natural Foods Deli with Indoor and Outdoor Seating • Local Organic Produce • Luge Selection of Vitamins, llomeoyathics, Flower Essences and Other Natural Remedies Mim-Snt Stun to 10pm Sim 9am to 10pm 2Sth and Friendly Eugene 683-2079 Gins scs/C ontacts/Exmns Complete lab on premises tor fast service rainbow optics 343-3333 766 l i kh Kve I ugene Ono block trom U oi O 1 riv parking m back Hours M I Sam r>pm. Sat Ham-5pm ^