Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents tell Eugene Police Commission of serial arson, repeated nonresponse to neighborhood complaints
Summary
Three public commenters told the commission they have documented fires, near-misses and repeated nonemergency reports that they say went unanswered; speakers urged more targeted police responses and asked the commission to address perceived gaps in responsiveness.
Several Eugene residents raised public-safety concerns during public comment at the July 9 Eugene Police Commission meeting, telling commissioners they have documented fires, chronic public-drug-use sites and repeated nonemergency reports that did not lead to sustained police intervention.
Kenneth (Ken) Burrow, who gave his address for the record, said he and neighbors have video and other documentation of a person they call a serial arsonist. "They were arrested and released the next morning," Burrow said, adding that neighbors have been compiling evidence and that "if it's city officials, any bureaucrats...that is standing in the way of that will be held accountable" in future elections. He warned, "the blood will be there on their hands when someone gets hurt." The comment was delivered as a public appeal for more responsiveness rather than a request for immediate action.
Resident Carson Quam described a cluster of incidents near Grant Street and 10th Avenue, including open drug use, a vacant house that burned and a duplex that also burned. Quam said repeated calls to the nonemergency line were "dismissive" and that the neighborhood needs "a stronger police specialized response to take care of these problem spots." He told commissioners he had submitted a packet of photos and documentation for the commission to review and asked them to consider policy or operational changes within the commission's scope.
Harry Bosque, who identified himself as a Marine Corps veteran and regular protester, posed a series of questions about the Eugene Police Department's relationship with federal immigration enforcement and protest policing: "If ICE comes back to this community...is the Eugene Police Department gonna stop them?" He also asked whether federal agents could enter homes without judicial warrants, whether EPD would assist if protesters were injured by federal agents, and whether the department would protect evidence in local homicide investigations.
Commissioners acknowledged the concerns and noted community safety would be discussed further. Councilor Groves told public commenters he was not aware of council interference with police operations but invited specifics. Commissioner Deo said the practice has been not to respond to public comment immediately within the same meeting, but acknowledged the concerns about responsiveness and public safety and suggested follow-up in a future meeting.
Next steps: commissioners did not take immediate action on these items during the July 9 meeting; commissioners said they would consider follow-up discussion about responsiveness, possible operational changes, and how neighborhoods document and report chronic problems.
