Media Credit: Patrick Finney [Click to enlarge]

Thirty of Eugene's finest will soon be hitting the city's streets with a new tool at their disposal. The Lane County Board of Commissioners authorized a grant last Wednesday authorizing almost $190,000 to install cameras, known as Digital Patrollers, in 30 Lane County Police Officers' squad cars. Funding for the cameras, which will send live video feeds back to the Eugene Police Department, comes from a $2.5 million grant awarded by the Community Orientated Policing Services program.

There are currently 106 Digital Patrollers in use throughout the state. Some officers who used the video recording devices reported feeling safer with the cameras because, when lawbreakers were informed they were being videotaped, many became less aggressive, knowing anything they do could be videotaped and presented in court later. It is obviously for the community's benefit any time our local police are able to increase their effectiveness. However, what should not be forgotten is that there is a severe lack of police presence at our University.

The Emerald reported earlier in the month on this shortage. Only one sworn police officer patrols the campus area per 5,000 students. Put simply, there are four police officers assigned with the task of protecting and serving the University community. Often, only one of these officers is patrolling at any given time. Sometimes, there are none. By contrast, Oregon State University employs 2.65 sworn officers per 5,000 students. Washington State, Arizona State, Washington, UCLA, Stanford and Arizona all employ between four and seven officers per 5,000 students. Statistics indicate that in a large community such as the University of Oregon, this is a grossly under representative number.

The campus Department of Public Safety is the University's primary source of emergency assistance. Fourteen DPS officers patrol the University grounds, keeping an eye out for students' safety and well-being. However, when it comes to crime prevention, they are often limited in what they can do. Since they are not officially designated as police officers, Oregon law prohibits DPS officers from carrying guns. As a result, the Eugene Police Department must be called in to handle more serious situations.

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