Downtown 'exclusion zone' expires in April

EUGENE, Ore. - The Downtown Public Safety Zone will end April 2012 unless the Eugene City Council takes action to continue the policy.

Commonly known as the "exclusion zone," the policy allows police to ask a judge to bar someone accused of certain crimes from entering a 20-block area of downtown Eugene for 90 days up to one year.

The Police Commission plans to get public feedback Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 5:30 p.m. on the policy. The meeting goes until 8:30 p.m. in the McNutt room at Eugene City Hall.

A brief presentation of the information will be made, and the remaining time will be used to provide up to three minutes of comments for participants who wish to speak.  The time for each comment may be shortened, depending upon the number of people wishing to speak.

Community members who would like to provide written comments can send them via email to Carter Hawley, Police Commission Analyst.

All comments received on Dec. 14 and received in writing by Jan. 10, 2012, will be compiled and presented to the City Council for their consideration in late January.

A City Council public hearing on this topic is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2012. >>> MORE INFO