http://www.dailyemerald.com ^ Club baseball goes to Series Page 10 An independent newspaper Wednesday, May 26,2004 Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Volume 105, Issue 163 MI STAKE N|Q^j|j|£5 THE EUGENE POLICE IF DPS AND Nl RMS ARE CAUSING CONFUSION By Lisa Catto News Reporter 4 cop? No, maybe a Department of 4 Public Safety officer. Or possibly ■L Invent security? Some University students have mis takenly identified DPS officers for Eu gene Police Department officers, or vice versa, due to the similar uniforms worn by officers at both departments. Several recent incidents of confusion have prompted the Eugene Police Com mission to form the Police Uniform Standards Task Group, which will look at the possible confusion caused by sim ilarities between EPD uniforms and se curity or public safety agency uniforms. The group could then recommend an ordinance to require public and private security services to purchase distinguish able uniforms. Police Commissioner John Brown has noticed several instances of confu sion during his ride-alongs with EPD of ficers. One instance was a fight that occurred at a local bar. Several EPD and DPS offi cers arrived to deal with the altercation. Brown said many of the bar-goers could n't tell EPD and DPS officers apart, and it appeared the response was "overkill." "If you look at the uniforms, you can hardly tell them apart," Brown said. But DPS is concerned about the po tential cost of switching uniforms, espe cially since Police Commission Coordi nator Jeannine Parisi said DPS will be more affected by a potential ordinance. DPS Interim Director Tom Hicks said he is unaware of any specific instances where DPS and EPD officers were con fused, adding that a potential recom mendation to require new, distinguish able uniforms could cost a lot. He estimates it will cost $8,000 to $ 10,000 Turn to UNIFORMS, page 12 Am patctm: OPS palcJws are more triartgjfar and shiekMke, whereas EPO uses a tongw, squared pateh. I Badp« OPS badge* featuns th# officer’s rank tngr&td m a rMxn above the seal. Nto, liO" >» printed on bottom mated of (he oftaer't number. Harm ptates: EPD officers ham engrwed name pistes. DPS officers' names we embroidered on Mr unttorrm, aithoutfi OPS » constdern* a Velcro name patch system to increase reusaNty of officers' untoim. IMformoolorK tPD orders its uniforms in ”LAPD blue ” but OPS officers sport a darter color. DEPARTM ^PUBLIC I HrMumc EPDcttcw* carry ftnwnw, bU OPS us«s h