DPS policy would
halt vehicle pursuits
Some argue the proposed
policy is too restrictive and
should give DPS officers
discretion in pursuits
By Jared Paben
Senior News Reporter
I he Department of Public Safety
has released the initial draft of a new
pursuit policy that would uncondi
tionally prohibit all officers in patrol
vehicles from chasing fleeing suspects.
The release comes nearly one year
after an incident in which a DPS offi
cer drove on a sidewalk and collided
with a fleeing bicyclist. DPS Interim
Director Tom Hicks presented the
rough draft of the policy to the Public
Safety Advisory Croup on Thursday.
The draft, which is the depart
ment's first pursuit policy, allows offi
cers to pursue suspects only with de
partment bicycles. The policy also
restricts officers from following any
suspect with a vehicle, even if they wit
ness a crime, I licks said.
"I'll be honest with you: It was
drafted by one of our sergeants and I
almost feel it was a little bit too strict,"
I licks told PSAG members. "It gives
the officer no leeway when it comes to
pursuit in a vehicle. It's outright pro
hibitive, period. You're not going to
be engaging in any vehicle pursuits.
I'm just not sure where I'm really
comfortable without any discretion
being given to the officer."
Hicks said the policy, which is still
only a rough draft, also needs clarifi
cation on when and how officers may
conduct foot pursuits.
1 licks said DPS Sgt. Jeff Breno, a
former Portland police officer who
engaged in many pursuits in Portland,
authored the policy with instructions
to make it restrictive. I licks said most
police departments are now limiting
high-speed pursuits, but he would
like to see some flexibility so an offi
cer could follow a suspect.
But ASIIO l^gal Services Director
Ilona Koleszar defended the restrictive
language of the draft. She said sus
pects tend to drive more dangerously
when they see law enforcement fol
lowing them.
"You weigh this thing of letting a
hit-and-run person possibly escape, as
opposed to maybe causing fatal in
juries to somebody; so it pales,"
Koleszar said. "I think that's what this
(draft) tries to recognize. It does seem
very restrictive, but I guess I can see
reason why that might be a place to
start."
Koleszar said the policy might also
reflect Breno's understanding that
DPS officers receive less vehicle-use
training than sworn police officers.
DPS officers only receive two days
of vehicle-use training, I licks said.
DPS has not scheduled public hear
ings to garner feedback on the poli
cies, but Micks said he would like
PSAC. members to get feedback on the
policy from their constituents. No stu
dent representatives showed up at
Thursday's Dead Week meeting, how
ever.
ASIIO President Adam Petkun said
the ASl JO (jcecutive's PSAC representa
tive, Campus & Safety Outreach coordi
nator Corey I larmon, will not be avail
able this summer to attend PSAC
meetings, but an ASUO representative
will attend the upcoming July meeting.
"There'll definitely be someone
there," Petkun said. "We're still form
ing our summer staff, but regardless
of what our summer staff is com
posed of, someone will be there,
whether it be me or (ASUO Vice Pres
ident) Mena (Ravassipour)." V*
Contact the campus/federal
politics reporter
at jaredpaben@dailyemerald.com.
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DIVERSITY
continued from page 1A
The committee, which advocates
for students of color in the college,
proposed a list of recommenda
tions to the deans in March, includ
ing: The creation of a 5-year plan to
address the issues; standardized
and enforced procedures for han
dling complaints; and diversity
training for staff and faculty.
Education Associate Dean for
Academic Programs Linda Forrest
said EDAC's recommendations
have created "powerful dialogue"
throughout the college.
The College of Education —
which is ranked eighth out of the
nation's education graduate
schools, according to a 2005 U.S.
News and World Report survey —
has many diversity initiatives in
place, she said. 1’he school was re
cently awarded an Interdisciplinary
Reading Croup Award from the
University Center on Diversity and
Community, which will allow a
group of the college's faculty mem
bers to study methods for develop
ing culturally responsive practices.
Shadiin Garcia, student support
services coordinator for the Sap
sik'waia (Teacher) Education Pro
gram, said problems have existed in
the college for years. But an inci
dent during the February Career Be
ginnings conference, during which
students learn tips for future inter
views, "brought it to the forefront,"
she said.
At the conference, students in the
college learned the importance of
firm handshakes and direct eye
contact when meeting with poten
tial employers. When a student of
color raised concerns that her cul
ture does not encourage such inter
actions, a comment by Springfield
school district's Director of Fluman
Resources Roger Jordan was per
ceived to be culturally insensitive.
Jordan said he had explained
what he calls "the blemish effect,"
which is something that might dis
"The community kind of
joined in to put some
pressure on the College
of Education to make
some changes."
Jim Lyda
Coordinator, Ethnic Diversity
Affairs Committee
tract a potential employer during
the interviewing process, such as
cultural differences. He said the
meaning was misconstrued and
that he did not intend to propose
that the student's culture was a
"blemish."
"My comments there caused
quite a flap at the University," he
said. "And that bothers me tremen
dously."
Since then, Jordan said he has
tried to improve his understanding
of what it means to be culturally
sensitive.
But Garcia said Iordan's com
ment was offensive. She said that
more importantly, faculty members
did not have the skills to address
the incident at the time or effective
ly talk to students about it later.
"The professors were ill
equipped to deal with it," she said.
Garcia and Lyda said they did
not feel comfortable listing other
instances of cultural insensitivity
for fear of retaliation against the
students involved.
"Because of the numbers (of stu
dents of color) and the nature of
some of the incidents, it's difficult,"
Lyda said. "You always have to wor
ry about grades or being ostra
cized."
Forrest said she's aware that fear
might exist, but she added that stu
dents have many outlets to raise
complaints including the Bias Re
sponse Team and with herself.
"What we're trying to communi
cate to them is it's OK to com
plain," she said.
In April, representatives from lo
cal organizations and schools at
tended a meeting on campus to ad
dress the problems within the
college, Lyda said.
“The community kind of joined
in to put some pressure on the Col
lege of Education to make some
changes," he said.
Committee members have also
raised concerns that the College of
Education is producing future
teachers who lack multicultural
skills needed for working in in
creasingly diverse local school dis
tricts.
Forrest said Jefferson Middle
School has been reluctant to allow
graduates or students of the Univer
sity's College of Education to prac
tice teaching at the school.
"I would say it has to do with
wanting greater confidence in the
cultural competency," she said. "I
think we're working to change
that."
Eugene 4-1 School District's Hu
man Resources Director Wally
Bryant said the school's reluctance
to bring in student teachers from
the college was a protest against the
college's multicultural shortcom
ings. He added that he feels the
quality of job applicants is improv
ing, however, which is important
because Eugene's demographics are
changing.
"Cultural competency is one of
the things we're looking for in can
didates," he said. While he is satis
fied with the students coming from
the college, Bryant said anything
the University can do to improve
those skills is appreciated.
Forrest said it is important for
faculty members within the college
to learn to be more supportive and
respectful of cultural differences.
"We need to model that for stu
dents in our classrooms who are
going to be teaching in public
schools," she said.
Contact the higher education/student
life/student affairs reporter
at chelseaduncan@dailyemerald.com.
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