An advisory group for the Department of Public Safety met Thursday afternoon and discussed parking on campus, released statistics and explored the possibility of patrolling off-campus neighborhoods.
The Public Safety Advisory Group, which makes recommendations to DPS, met for the first time in two years last month and will meet again before the school year ends. The group is made up of administrators and students from various University departments.
In the past, the group advised DPS not to issue citations to students who report alcohol poisoning in residence halls to DPS, said ASUO Outreach Coordinator Mike Filippelli, chair of the group.
During the meeting, Filippelli asked DPS staff members for updates about parking at the University.
“Parking is a constantly moving, changing beast on campus as the University continues to grow and build,” said Ken Boegli, DPS parking manager. “Every day when I come into work, I ask myself, ‘Where can I find more spaces? How can I bring relief to students and faculty?’”
Boegli said he is working with Lane Transit District to explore more commuting options.
The parking manager said he hears two different perspectives about campus parking.
“We’re in a very complicated, complex environment where on the one hand you have incredible demand for parking, but, on the other hand, you have incredible demand for sustainability,” Boegli said.
He said the lack of parking forces people to use alternative modes of transportation.
“You find a delicate balance,” Boegli said. “A parking garage may send the message to the community to drive to campus.”
Johnny Earl, a representative of the Service Employees International Union, suggested using the Autzen Stadium parking lot and shuttling students to campus.
Boegli said DPS might one day use the Autzen lot for student parking.
“We are looking at all kinds of out-of-the box ways to use that,” Boegli said. “It is our greatest under-utilized facility.”
DPS doesn’t enforce parking at Autzen Stadium because the lot belongs to the Athletic Department, Boegli said.
Filippelli asked DPS why it closes parking spots with broken meters.
Eugene Police Department Sgt. Mark Montes said closing such parking spots prevents people from damaging meters and parking there.
DPS Operations Lt. Herb Horner released statistics to PSAG members.
In 2005, DPS saw a spike in Minor in Possession charges. DPS issued 1,519 in 2005, compared with 1,216 in 2004 and 160 in 2006.
“We had a lot of drinking going on at the campus,” Horner said of 2005. “The citations overall were bumped up overall as a result of that.” He also credited more aggressive patrolling during that year.
Horner said DPS saw a drop in referrals in 2006 because of understaffing. He said the numbers may have dropped because DPS doesn’t always issue a citation and instead refers incidents to University Housing.
Horner said DPS has received more complaints from the West and South University neighborhoods in recent years. He said DPS doesn’t patrol off-campus.
DPS Interim Director Richard Turkiewicz said off-campus issues affect students.
“We’re talking about things that occur adjacent to our campus that are affecting our students’ well-being,” he said, pointing to the recent death of Brian Reams and an Emerald article about Hilyard Street safety. Reams, who was trying to cross Hilyard Street on foot, died after a car struck him in March.
“All I’m trying to say is that we’re not living in a bubble,” Turkiewicz said. “There’s no bubble on the UO campus.”
Ilona Koleszar with ASUO Legal Services said there could be liability issues if DPS patrolled off campus.
Laura Blake Jones with the Office of Student Life said the University should focus on prevention efforts off campus and should patrol on the University campus.
Turkiewicz said on-campus enforcement allows for student learning.
“What we’re trying to do is modify behavior as an educational goal,” he said.
Contact the crime, health and safety reporter at [email protected]