Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police report: roughly 170 calls tied to 12th Street SafeSleep area over 90 days; city to install cameras and pursue other measures
Summary
The police chief reported roughly 143 calls for service at the 12th Street SafeSleep site over the prior 90 days (plus about 27 calls coded for a nearby park), and staff described steps including CCTV installation and coordination with mobile crisis teams to address public safety and nuisance concerns.
The police chief told the council that officers have responded to a high volume of calls for service at the 12th Street SafeSleep site and said the city is pursuing cameras and other measures to address dumping, loitering and criminal behavior.
"We had... 143 calls for service at the 12th Street camp over the last 90 days," the chief said, adding the department also tracked about 27 calls coded to Trailhead Park for similar issues. He said many responses were proactive patrol checks but that arrests, citations and warrant arrests occurred among the recorded incidents.
The chief and other staff emphasized that loitering on city property is not automatically illegal and that enforcement focuses on criminal conduct. He said the city is working with ValleyTel to install CCTV at the site to give dispatch a live view and provide evidence for illegal dumping and other offenses. The chief said the cameras may reduce dumping and help identify responsible parties.
Public Works Director Stewart described the city's regular cleaning and maintenance work at the camp site and parks, noting crews open and close the site daily and occasionally require extra cleanup when people do not take belongings; he said staff have tried cameras, police presence and different remedies for vandalism and that the city is exploring improved camera systems and access control for newer restroom installations.
Councilors asked whether the Lane County Mobile Crisis Unit was tracking responses in the city; the chief said the unit keeps data and that staff would reach out to the mobile-crisis supervisor to request local statistics and report back. Several councilors asked staff to bring more detailed data to a future meeting. No formal direction to relocate the SafeSleep site was made at this meeting; councilors discussed the idea and staff said they had reviewed other potential locations and are continuing conversations with neighbors.
