'I'm not happy about it, but things change'

EUGENE, Ore. - Randy Ellis is an unhappy camper.

The king of the West University police beat thinks he might be out of a job sooner than later.

"Everything that I've been told so far is that my position is going to cease to exist as it is now," says Ellis.

Businesses and residents give Ellis much of the credit for the successful community policing program in the area. Word spread recently through the business community that the University police sub station on East 13th may close.

The Eugene Police Department told KVAL News the substation isn't closing. However, the West University community policing program is losing $40,000.
 
West University merchants, the city and the University of Oregon each pay one-third of the cost for putting officers on the West University beat.

The University of Oregon Department of Public Safety will be hiring their own fully sworn officers next year.

"And when they do so," said Sheila Daughtry, chair of the University District Business Association, "they'll of course want to use their own money to fund that police force, so we're looking at how we're going to come up with the other one-third of the funding."

The UO's agreement to fund its share of the foot patrols runs out next June.

Ellis said he hears the police will expand the downtown district out to West University and have officers on bikes take over the beat.

He believes the program won't be the same, but he is resigned to the future.

"I'm not happy about it," he said, "but things change."