A new coalition tackles crime in local homeless areas
Glenwood - Drug deals, prostitution and drunken fights--these are the crimes police often deal with among the area's homeless.
But officers have trouble enforcing the existing laws so they're banding together to look for creative, new solutions.
The signs are clear: no camping, no trespassing. But look under and around the Glenwood bridges and you'll see plenty of camping and drinking going on.
"It is a situation where they found an area difficult to enforce because we have multiple jurisdictions it is one agency to complain another to do the enforcement," Sergeant Brent Carpenter with Springfield Police said.
Under the spans is ODOT property, and some of the area falls under Lane County jurisdiction, which means transients drink as much as they want. "They recognize it is still the county and the open container laws don't apply that do in Eugene and Springfield," Deputy Jon Block with the Lane County Sheriff's Office said.
And the problems associated with drinking have spilled over to Lane Transit District bus stops. "We have fights at the station trespassing and problems getting that enforced because it is in Glenwood and it is sheriff or state police jurisdiction. It is not a municipality and that's the main issue--it is a no man's land," LTD Security Manager Rick Bailor said.
We talked to some of the folks living under the bridges who wanted to remain anonymous. "Watch each others back so we don't get robbed or beaten," one said.
They admit it is a dangerous place to be with a lot of crime.
But neighbors say they want police to take control because they no longer feel safe. "We brought our kids down under the bridge and a transient and another started beating each other over the heads with chains police were called they never came as a parent and community member I am concerned," Springfield resident Maralee Aguirre said.
Now officials with ODOT, Springfield, Lane County and Lane Transit District are teaming up trying to take back the area. But they admit a solution is still a long ways off.
The city of Springfield goes into the area a couple times a week to clean up. The new coalition plans to get together again next month to continue work on the problem.
But officers have trouble enforcing the existing laws so they're banding together to look for creative, new solutions.
The signs are clear: no camping, no trespassing. But look under and around the Glenwood bridges and you'll see plenty of camping and drinking going on.
"It is a situation where they found an area difficult to enforce because we have multiple jurisdictions it is one agency to complain another to do the enforcement," Sergeant Brent Carpenter with Springfield Police said.
Under the spans is ODOT property, and some of the area falls under Lane County jurisdiction, which means transients drink as much as they want. "They recognize it is still the county and the open container laws don't apply that do in Eugene and Springfield," Deputy Jon Block with the Lane County Sheriff's Office said.
And the problems associated with drinking have spilled over to Lane Transit District bus stops. "We have fights at the station trespassing and problems getting that enforced because it is in Glenwood and it is sheriff or state police jurisdiction. It is not a municipality and that's the main issue--it is a no man's land," LTD Security Manager Rick Bailor said.
We talked to some of the folks living under the bridges who wanted to remain anonymous. "Watch each others back so we don't get robbed or beaten," one said.
They admit it is a dangerous place to be with a lot of crime.
But neighbors say they want police to take control because they no longer feel safe. "We brought our kids down under the bridge and a transient and another started beating each other over the heads with chains police were called they never came as a parent and community member I am concerned," Springfield resident Maralee Aguirre said.
Now officials with ODOT, Springfield, Lane County and Lane Transit District are teaming up trying to take back the area. But they admit a solution is still a long ways off.
The city of Springfield goes into the area a couple times a week to clean up. The new coalition plans to get together again next month to continue work on the problem.
