The Eugene City Council passed an ordinance Monday night which would take effect in September that would create a three month exclusion zone which covers 20 square blocks in downtown Eugene. To be excluded from the area, a person would have to be cited for a crime like a harassment, possession of drugs, or public urination. If convicted, a person could be banned for year.
It will certainly be a tool that will help officers to control the crime problem that is right now just about out of control,” said Capt. Pete Kerns of the Eugene Police Department.A person who commits a crime that is on the exclusion list, will be given a form and must appear before judge within 3 to 5 days of the date of issue.
The American Civil Liberties Union Of Oregon objects to the ordinance because the bans would be imposed through a civil procedure.
" the advantage (of the ordnance) is the upfront enforcement ability to exclude people who are committing crimes," said City Prosecutor Dan Barkovic.
OK now… Last take a quick look at this.
Oh, here's a good example that the article cites,
Last year there were 2,413 reported crimes in the 32-square-block area that composes the heart of downtown, or about 10 percent of all crimes reported in the city.
It is no wonder why there are problems in downtown.
So even with this new "tool" for the police to work with… What are they going to do once charges are pressed?
The district Atty. for years has publicly announced which crimes that he will not prosecute. So with that being said, it is realistic to think that someone charged with violating the exclusion zone that anything is going to happen to them more than a fine? A fine that will likely not be paid anyways.
I don't think so.
While I applaud the efforts of the Eugene City Council for at least trying to make an effort, I do not think that they are really addressing the big picture.
2 comments:
Of course they aren't dealing with the big problem because they are part of the reason the problem exists. On one hand they want to coddle these miscreants and on the other they want them to straighten up and act human. It must be hard trying to walk that fence.
I would have much more sympathy for Betty Snowden if she wasn't such a race baiting victim all the time.
Just a thought (as someone who's spent a good portion of the last 8 years woking inside that are), but maybe if they enforced the existing laws (particularly vagrancy) isntead of devising new, unenforced, token lays... Naw, just a thougt.
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