Following Saturday night’s Oregon football win and the Department of Public Safety’s debrief at Autzen Stadium, DPS patrol officer Adam Lillengreen got into his patrol cruiser and began his sweeps of the University’s riverfront, north and west campus areas.
Lillengreen said that he expected to deal with intoxicated students, but that he was also prepared to deal with potential non-student trespassers on University property.
DPS patrols the streets and neighborhoods of the University and its surrounding community following football games like it does any other night, but the variety of individuals and cases it handles are clearly affected by the post-game atmosphere.
“I’m especially concerned about trespassers in and around the residence halls, because this is where students live and sleep,” Lillengreen said. “If there’s a transient selling drugs and causing problems in the middle of the EMU Amphitheater, that’s less of a concern to me than if they’re near where students actually live.”
While driving through Springfield to bypass post-game traffic, he discussed the limitations associated with DPS not being a sworn police department and the benefits that he said he thinks would come with that added authority.
“I don’t have the responsibility to do anything here,” Lillengreen said.
Pointing at a woman walking along the sidewalk, he articulated this dilemma.
“If she, right now, were being raped, and I know this is an extreme case, but I would have a choice to make, because stopping that is out of my jurisdiction,” Lillengreen said. “I would go stop the rape and possibly lose my job.”
Upon circumventing traffic and arriving back in Eugene, Lillengreen’s first stop was to pick up a couple of traffic cones along the Riverfront Path near the main campus. Minutes later, as he patrolled some of the workshops and recycling centers opposite the Autzen Footbridge, he flashed his lights and stopped a group of three young men who appeared to be walking along a path with open alcohol containers, a violation of Eugene Municipal Code.
Lillengreen stepped out of his cruiser and approached the group, telling one of the individuals who was not carrying a container to stand back. He told the two carrying containers to place them on the ground, to keep their hands visible and to provide basic information.
The two were nervous but cooperative, and Lillengreen informed them that what they’re doing is illegal and actually an offense for which they could be arrested.
He spoke to them briefly and even joked with them to lighten the mood.
Lillengreen resolved the situation with just a warning and had the individuals pour out the bottles after ascertaining that they had a place to sleep and wouldn’t be driving that night.
“Sometimes, if I’ve seen someone before and I’ve told them not to do this before, then I’m going to take more serious action,” Lillengreen said. “Especially on a night like this; there are a lot of people coming back from tailgating with beverages. I’ve already run their information and there’s nothing outstanding with them, so they’re alright.”
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