We all working with all our other city partners and the community to help slow COVID-19’s spread. And, we are taking care of our employees.
Our community’s safety is our main focus and as a City Department we will maintain essential services, support our partners, and continue to reinforce the importance of following Lane County Public Health’s advisories.
We are making sure our workforce stays healthy so we can continue serving the community. By keeping ourselves healthy, we help reduce the spread of disease and ensure we are adequately staffed for public safety response.
What We Are Doing
- We will continue to respond to emergency calls for service, in progress crimes, other high priority life/safety issues, and incidents that require evidence gathering. This will not change
- Our public expects us to adjust our operations to ensure the safety and health of our first responders. We will communicate any operational changes to individuals when they call in to our non-emergency line for low-level service calls.
- As always, individuals can report vandalism/criminal mischief, theft, hit and run (non injury), and other non-emergency crime or suspicious activity can be reported online: http://ceapps.eugene-or.gov/epdcoplogic/
- We are suspending meetings and public events, temporarily closing facilities to public entry, and modifying some face-to-face services to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Eugene. This includes:
- Suspending ride-alongs and the use of the Kilcullen Conference Room by the public
- Limiting entry to the secure portions of our headquarters at 300 Country Club, Central Lane 911, and other locations to employees and critical/essential business visitors only
- Ensuring there are personal protective equipment for patrol officers and that we are all following cleaning guidelines for vehicles and facilities, as well as using good hygienic practices as outlined by Lane County Public Health
- Working with our partners, such as CAHOOTS, to ensure we are coordinating plans
- Modifying services for the EPD Front Counter: all in-person services will be suspended, except for the following: Vehicle Impound Release; Pet Fix-It Tickets (no other licensing at this time); Bail and Mail/package delivery. For these services, the public can pick up the black phone in the lobby and dial 5131. The Red Phone is still available to call dispatch.
- Public Records requests can be submitted through fax (541.682.6804) or mail (300 Country Club Road, Eugene, Oregon). There are forms online: https://www.eugene-or.gov/916/Police-Records-Request
All of these efforts help slow the spread of COVID-19. By slowing the spread, we can preserve our health care capacity which will be critical in the coming weeks. These actions also help protect people who may be at higher risk - people over 60 and those with pre-existing respiratory, cardiac conditions, or who are immunocompromised. Most of us – 80% – will have mild, cold-like symptoms if we contract the disease – but higher risk groups face more serious illness. We can all help reduce the impact of COVID-19 in our community.