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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2000)
DPS. cameramen conflict ■ Department of Public Safety officers accused alternative media journalists of trespassing By Ben Romano Oregon Daily Emerald Two Cascadia Alive! videogra phers were told to leave University property Saturday night while they were trying to film an investigation by Department of Public Safety of ficers. The cameramen said the inci dent was an example of how local law enforcement suppresses inde pendent media. Tim Lewis and Steven Heslin, who routinely film the activities of area law enforcement for the cable access programs Cascadia Alive! and Cop Watch, weP3 threatened with arrest for trespassing when they failed fa leave the University parking lot at 14th Avenue and Kin caid Street after DPSSgt. Sean Stra hon directed them Wdnso. DPS Associate Director Tom Hicks said a DPS officer asked the Cascadia Alive! videographers to leave University property because they did not step away from the in vestigation when asked to do so. It had nothing to do the fact that Lewis and Heslin represented independ ent media, Hicks said. “It would be the same circum stance if any other media were in terfering,” he said. A videotape of the incident that the Emerald obtained from Casca dia Alive! did not show DPS officers asking the videographers to back away. On the tape, DPS officers tell the videographers to leave Universi ty property because they are tres passing. There is no mention of in terfering with an investigation, and though they asked repeatedly, the cameramen were not given an ex planation of why they were being asked to leave. While the incident was minor and did not result in any citations being issued, Lewis and Heslin said it was indicative of the local law enforce ment reaction to independent media. “The cops don’t like the way we cover news and they have authority to restrict access to a legitimate news event,” Heslin said. “When independent media is trying to hit the streets themselves, we’re like, getting booted. To me it’s just blatant censorship.” Eugene Police Department spokes woman Jan Power said that all media, whether they are independent or mainstream, are subject to the same laws. She said all types of media have given her cause for concern at one time or another because of their ac * tions at crime scenes . “We’ve been instructed by die city council to recognize anyone who rep resents themselves as media, and that’s what we do,” Power said. Power noted, however, that some media do not adhere closely to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, specifically in rela tion to unbiased reporting. She said there are some who blur the distinc tion between being the news and re porting the news, which can jeop ardize police investigations. Power said a number of actions can constitute interfering with an EPD investigation, including com menting verbally, harassing or get ting too close to the officers in volved in the investigation. “Officers have reason to need a space, so to speak, to conduct an in vestigation,” she said, adding that they have the ability to set a dis tance that will ensure the safety and integrity of an investigation. DPS was in the parking lot Satur day because officers had observed several people there with open con tainers of alcohol and heard glass bottles being broken. Eventually, DPS requested assistance from the Eugene Police Department to deal with alcohol violations. University Vice President for Ad ministration Dan Williams said the authority to kick trespassers off the campus rests with the University president, who has delegated it to the director of public safety and oth er administrators. “It’s not uncommon for the De partment of Public Safety to exer cise trespassing violations through out the year,” Williams said. Power said anyone can videotape from a public property, but making audio recordings requires the per mission of the recording subjects. She said EPD issues some citations for making audio recordings with out permission. Sgt. Strahon said on the tape that the two videographers are anarchists. Heslih said in an interview on Tues day that he was an anarchist, but Lewis did not indicate whether he was or was not an anarchist. When EPD arrived, a police offi cer told the videographers that they ? were subject to arrest if they didn’t leave immediately. Heslin also related an incident at a partel discussion on Measure 9, held Oct. 11 at the law school. He and fellow Cascadia Alive! videog rapher Erin Hauge were asked to leave the discussion by a DPS offi cer after Hauge raised her hand to answer a rhetorical question one of the panelists posed. Video tapes from the discussion show many others in the audience with hands , raised in response to the question, but Hauge and Heslin were the only ones asked to leave. “The attitude that [DPS] has is re ally originating from the Eugene Po lice Department,” Heslin said. “They define who the media are.” The videographers said police of ficers routinely point high-powered flashlights at their cameras to pre vent them from taping. “I guess they don’t want light shed on everything the cops are do ing down there,” Lewis said. Biking continued from page 1A said. “You see the inexperienced riders with the skunk mark up their back from riding without fenders. Fenders are a cheap option. ” Safety measures Rain can greatly increase the riskiness of bicycle riding, said Shawn Strahon, a Department of Public Safety officer. Because they are not as visible to drivers during the winter months, bicyclists must ride more defensively and dress brightly or use lights to increase visibility. “Bicyclists need to be aware of traffic laws and obey them,” Stra hon said. “Use a light when it’s dark, which is required by law.” The rain can also have a harmful effect on riding during the day. “Watch out for wet leaves, white lines and manhole covers,” Wallis said. “All get extremely slippery during wet weather.” Be sure to turn and brake before or after passing these objects and watch for uneven pavement, standing water or narrowed lane widths. Bicyclists also need to re member that wet roads make brak ing harder and should anticipate longer stopping times. Riding in tune If you’re not doing basic mainte nance on your bike, take it to a shop a couple of times a year, depending on how much you ride, Hanlon said. Covered bike parking on campus: • Recreation Center •EMU • Knight Library • Pacific Hail • Residence halls • Law school • Chapman Hall •Lawrence Hall • LTD Campus South Station • Bowerman Science Library Bike Cages The Onyx Bridge bike cage is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The usage fee is $10 per term or $20 per year. Users are issued a personal code to access the cage. The Department of Public Safety manages registration of the cage and lockers. Biking in Eugene The city of Eugene consists of a well-coordinated system of bikeways. The system includes 28 miles of off-street paths, 78 miles of on-street bicycle lanes and 5 bicycle/pedestrian bridges spanning the Wilfamette River. Eugene's bikeways connect to Springfield’s bicycle system and to bikeways in metropolitan Lane County. 1. Eugene Bikeway Program http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/pw/bike/bikesite/bikewaypgrm.htm 2. Bicycle Manual http://www.odot.state.or.us/techserv/bikewalk/manual/index.htm Helpful Links “If you hear a squeak, you need to lube your chain,” Hanlon said. “Replace your chain frequently to prevent having to replace your whole rear cog.” Students are also required to reg ister their bikes through DPS. Reg istered bikes are much easier to find if they are stolen, Strahon said. Students who don’t ride often during the winter need to check on their bikes routinely to ensure that they are still there. Locking bikes properly is an excellent precau tion, and DPS offers classes at the beginning of each term to teach bike safety. By dressing properly for the winter months and abiding by common-sense rules regarding safety, bicycling in the winter can continue to be a pleasant method of transportation or leisure. ‘"Jeff Miller id a proven leader. He addredded problems with common deride and he knowd how to get thingd done. I edpecially admire hid work on human rightd. He had my d up port. ” — Bobby Green —Lane County Commissioner FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE Friend* of Jeff Miller-POBoe 11528* Eugene, OR974*0 www.iriendsoQeffin3fer.org Paid for and authorized by Friends of Jeff Miller P.O. Box 580, Junction Gty, Oregon 97448 Ask the Admissions Expert Saturday, November 4 University Center 720 East 13th Avenue, Suite 203 MCAT Workshop: 12-1:30 pm Med School Essay: 2-3:30 pm Learn about application processes, school selection, letters of recommendation, personal statements, resumes, and more, Kaplan’s experts teach you valuable strategies to maximize your chances of acceptance to graduate programs! Enter to win a free Kaplan course. 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