Connect with us

Oregon

UO reducing number of armed police officers, adding unarmed community service officers

Published

on

The University of Oregon Police Department will convert several armed police officer positions into unarmed community service officer positions over the next few months, President Michael Schill announced Monday.

“The agency will do so by eliminating seven sworn officer positions that are currently vacant and adding nine new service officer positions,” the UO said in a statement. “No current UOPD employees will be laid off or reclassified as a result of this shift.”

According to UO:

Unarmed community service officers will now take the lead on security patrols of campus, particularly buildings used by students, like the Erb Memorial Union, Knight Library and residence halls. Service officers will also take the lead in responding to all nonemergency calls that do not require the presence of a police officer.

Armed police officers will continue to be the first responders to all police calls and will be available to respond quickly to other incidents when needed.

 

The university president said there is “no scenario” where the “university would disband the UOPD or shift to an unarmed security force, due both to the risk of a major violent event and the regular instances where UOPD officers confront criminals or enter into other potentially dangerous situations on or near campus.”

The move comes after months of talks between the president, the campus community and the UOPD Chief Matt Carmichael.

According to Schill:

“Ultimately, our campus is best served by a dedicated and fully equipped law enforcement agency that is familiar with the UO campus, understands and embraces our shared values, is engaged in the day-to-day life of the institution, and has established relationships with students, affinity groups, our faculty and staff.

“That said, I understand that to some members of our community, particularly our students, faculty, and staff of color, an armed police force generates feelings of oppression and a lack of safety. It is important to me and to our entire community that all of us feel safe and included at the University of Oregon.”

Schill said the UO “will hire an outside consultant to work with the campus community to develop additional proposals to ensure the university’s public safety agency is viewed with confidence and trust. That work will look at a potential new police accountability process, options for an improved response process to individuals dealing with mental health episodes, and additional modifications to the functions performed by armed police officers.”

Carmichael, the chief of the UOPD, sees the changes in line with his goals for the department.

“Since the day I arrived at UOPD, I’ve been deeply committed to instilling police accountability at our agency and building trust with the community we serve,” Carmichael said. “At this critical time, we need to be open to change and new ideas for how to achieve those goals.”

“I’ve been clear all along that I cannot support fully disarming our agency, putting our officers in the field and community at risk,” Carmichael added. “But these are reasonable, data-driven changes that are responsive to needs and expectations of our campus community.”

From UO President Michael Schill:

November 9, 2020

Dear University of Oregon community,

Recent incidents of police violence against people of color have led to a healthy debate across the country about police reform and how best to utilize law enforcement agencies to protect and serve ALL of the people in our communities. That is certainly true here at the University of Oregon, where we are fortunate to have a police chief—Matt Carmichael—who has unequivocally denounced police brutality and leaned into a dialogue about how the UO Police Department (UOPD) can continue to make progress toward being an even more inclusive and community-oriented campus law enforcement agency.

Over the last few months, Chief Carmichael, I, and many other campus leaders have begun a wide-ranging dialogue with students, faculty, staff, and the broader community about the goals of the “disarm” movement and how to balance those demands against the UO’s legitimate need to prevent crime and protect campus. I would like to thank everyone involved for the respectful discussions and reasoned approach, because it has paved the way for the reforms that I am announcing today.

Before I discuss our plan for the future I want to be upfront about one thing: The university will neither disband the UOPD nor completely shift to an unarmed security force. The simple truth is that when crimes or suspected crimes occur on campus—and, unfortunately, they do occur—there will be an armed police response. The question is whether that response should be undertaken by our specially trained UOPD or by the Eugene Police Department. For me, the choice is clear—UOPD.

While the bucolic setting of our campus may lull us into a sense of security, crime and the threat of crime do affect us. Sadly, we are all too familiar with the type of violent events—including mass shootings—that have tragically impacted other campuses in Oregon and across the country in recent years. Additionally, we have seen criminal activity and violent incidents come uncomfortably close on a number of occasions to our usually safe campus here in Eugene. And, on a regular basis, our police officers confront criminals or face serious situations on or near campus that require them to have the full array of law enforcement tools at their disposal to protect the community.

Ultimately, our campus is best served by a dedicated and fully equipped law enforcement agency that is familiar with our campus, understands and embraces our shared values, is engaged in the day-to-day life of the institution, and has established relationships with students, affinity groups, our faculty, and staff. That said, I understand that to some members of our community—particularly people of color—an armed police force generates feelings of oppression and a lack of safety. It is important to me and to our entire community that all of us feel safe and included at the University of Oregon. Therefore, in the coming months, the University of Oregon will take the following steps:

We will reduce the number of armed UOPD officer positions by 26 percent and simultaneously substantially increase the number of unarmed community service officers (CSOs), as soon as we can hire and train appropriate personnel. As we hire our CSOs, we will do so with a goal of increasing diversity within UOPD and in accordance with our campus values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Routine security patrols of many campus buildings—particularly those used by students, such as the Erb Memorial Union, Knight Library, residence halls, and more—will be conducted by unarmed CSOs rather than armed police officers. Armed police officers, however, will be available to quickly respond to incidents, if warranted.

Unarmed CSOs will also take the lead in responding to non-emergency calls for service that do not require the presence of a police officer, such as taking reports of property theft after the fact or providing a proactive security presence on campus.

CSOs will not wear police-style uniforms and instead will wear easily recognizable attire aimed at making them appear more approachable and non-threatening to the campus community.

In the next few months, we will hire a consultant with expertise in policing and diverse communities to lead an inclusive process with our community to develop further proposals to make our public safety system one that inspires the confidence of all campus stakeholders. I am hopeful that we can engage all interested groups in this effort at transformation. Specifically, the consultant will help us develop:

A new police accountability process/review board structure

Options for improved mental health responses and/or community partnerships

Additional changes to the functions of armed police officers

The UO is a community that has been well-served by the UOPD. That said, the reforms I am announcing are rooted in the belief that UOPD can continue to evolve to meet the needs of all of our students, faculty, and staff. These are important steps toward ensuring that the University of Oregon campus is welcoming and inviting to all and continues to be a wonderful and safe place to live, work, study, or visit.

Thank you.

You may also like…

Crime & Safety21 hours ago

Man admitted to his chiId’s mother that their 1-year-old had been bothering him that night and, in frustration, he severeIy struck the toddIer twice, Ieading to Iife-threatening injuries, then ignored the woman’s request to take the chiId to the hospitaI: DA

Oregon – An Oregon man was ordered to spend more than ten years behind bars after being convicted of first-degree...

Crime & Safety3 days ago

Educator who instructed one of her students to deIete photos of her without cIothes she had sent him after indcentIy assauIting him for months, years after assauIting another minor student, was convicted

New Jersey – A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty last week to two counts of second-degree se-ual assauIt involving two of...

Crime & Safety4 days ago

Man told poIice his grandchiIdren found ‘hard objects’ in the lce cream they had recentIy purchased, later confirmed to be a controIIed substance, after he pIaced the crushed piIIs in them; charged

North Carolina – A North Carolina man was taken into custody earlier this week and charged with feIony chiId abuse, feIony...

Eugene6 days ago

Eugene Police investigating series of residential burglaries possibly targeting safes, cash, jewelry, and high-end handbags

Eugene, OR – The Eugene Police Property Crimes Unit is investigating multiple residential burglaries that may be connected, with some...

Eugene6 days ago

City of Eugene seeks public input on annual report detailing community development and affordable housing activities

Eugene, OR – The City of Eugene is inviting residents to provide feedback on the Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Annual Performance and...

Eugene6 days ago

Eugene Police Department reminds drivers to prioritize school zone and bus safety

Eugene, OR – As students return to school, the Eugene Police Department is urging drivers to be extra cautious around...

Crime & Safety1 week ago

Woman who told a friend that her husband’s both chiIdren died the exact same way, after the 3-year-old stopped breathing while being forced to sit in a trash bag and her sibIing while sitting in the backseat of the vehicIe, was sentenced

Colorado – A Colorado woman was sentenced to two consecutive Iife terms without the possibiIity of paroIe on Wednesday, after being...

Crime & Safety1 week ago

Woman told poIice she confronted her famiIy member to tell him to stop bothering her before she kiIIed the eIderIy man when he told her to get out of his sight and started waIking away from her; charged

Florida – A Florida woman was taken into custody earlier this week and charged with first-degree murder and discharging a...

Crime & Safety1 week ago

Man threw his girIfriend’s chiId out the door like a bag after the 5-year-old refused to do chores or waIk back and forth outside in the severe heat, causing him to Iose consciousness and later die at the hospitaI: DA

Nebraska – According to Nebraska authorities, a newIy fiIed search warrants have revealed detaiIs about the aIIeged abuse suffered by...

Crime & Safety1 week ago

Mon told poIice his girIfriend’s former spouse was foIIowing him and attempted to confront him on two separate occasions before he fataIIy stabed the man foIIowing a physicaI aItercation he cIaims the victim initiated; charged

Texas – A Texas man, 31-year-old J. Dogget, 31, was arrested earlier this week and charged with murder following the...

Eugene2 weeks ago

Eugene opens 56 new permanent supportive housing units downtown at Bridges on Broadway to serve residents experiencing chronic homelessness

Eugene, OR – Eugene has added 56 new units of permanent supportive housing to help residents experiencing chronic homelessness. Homes...

Trending