It's so cold!!!!! 🥶

@eugene

This is the 2024 update to last year's Eugene/Springfield crime report.

Numbers are derived from calls published on the EPD and SPD dispatch logs.

Note that not all calls are published (e.g. Suicidal Subject), not all calls result in dispatch of an officer, and not all calls are actionable (i.e. an officer is dispatched, but the person/problem is not found).

Daily crime map available here.

All Calls (except Traffic Stops)

 Year   Eugene        Springfield
------ ------------- ---------------
 2014   50,042         28,534
 2015   51,669 +3.3%   28,772  +0.8%
 2016   51,366 -0.6%   29,838  +3.7%
 2017   49,580 -3.5%   29,855  +0.1%
 2018   45,683 -7.9%   28,736  -3.7%
 2019   47,141 +3.2%   27,501  -4.3%
 2020   47,078 -0.1%   24,705 -10.2%
 2021   47,088  0.0%   24,611  -0.4%
 2022   45,046 -4.3%   25,001  +1.6%
 2023   44,021 -2.3%   23,055  -7.8%
 2024   43,319 -1.6%   22,486  -2.5%

Traffic Stop

 Year   Eugene         Springfield
------ -------------- --------------
 2014   17,018         11,401
 2015   13,710 -19.4%  10,603  -7.0%
 2016   11,894 -13.2%  10,212  -3.7%
 2017   10,905  -8.3%  10,932  +7.1%
 2018    8,908 -18.3%   9,184 -16.0%
 2019    9,834 +10.4%   8,928  -2.8%
 2020   12,901 +31.2%   6,253 -30.0%
 2021   10,738 -16.8%   5,241 -16.2%
 2022    8,748 -18.5%   4,440 -15.3%
 2023    9,651 +10.3%   5,737 +29.2%
 2024   10,587  +9.7%   6,114  +6.6%

Criminal Trespass

 Year   Eugene        Springfield
------ ------------- -------------
 2014   2,821         1,067
 2015   3,385 +20.0%  1,201 +12.6%
 2016   4,287 +26.6%  1,354 +12.7%
 2017   3,827 -10.7%  1,320  -2.5%
 2018   4,590 +19.9%  1,332  +0.9%
 2019   5,216 +13.6%  1,352  +1.5%
 2020   4,885  -6.3%  1,412  +4.4%
 2021   5,014  +2.6%  1,536  +8.8%
 2022   6,239 +24.4%  1,676  +9.1%
 2023   6,553  +5.0%  1,704  +1.7%
 2024   6,215  -5.2%  1,600  -6.1%

Shoplifter(s)

 Year   Eugene       Springfield
------ ------------ -------------
 2014   120          39
 2015   121   +0.8%  50  +28.2%
 2016   128   +5.8%  81  +62.0%
 2017    72  -43.8%  80   -1.2%
 2018    68   -5.6%  47  -41.3%
 2019   111  +63.2%  29  -38.3%
 2020   301 +171.2%   6  -79.3%
 2021   375  +24.6%  22 +266.7%
 2022   506  +34.9%  18  -18.2%
 2023   504   -0.4%  16  -11.1%
 2024   723  +43.5%   8  -50.0%

Dispute

 Year   Eugene        Springfield
------ ------------- -------------
 2014   4,074         1,864
 2015   4,250  +4.3%  1,931  +3.6%
 2016   4,944 +16.3%  2,054  +6.4%
 2017   5,261  +6.4%  1,897  -7.6%
 2018   5,337  +1.4%  1,942  +2.4%
 2019   6,125 +14.8%  2,136 +10.0%
 2020   6,456  +5.4%  2,186  +2.3%
 2021   6,526  +1.1%  2,030  -7.1%
 2022   6,144  -5.9%  2,059  +1.4%
 2023   5,839  -5.0%  1,738 -15.6%
 2024   5,667  -2.9%  1,753  +0.9%

Disorderly Subject

 Year   Eugene        Springfield
------ ------------- -------------
 2014   2,191           673
 2015   2,786 +27.2%    742 +10.3%
 2016   3,183 +14.2%    757  +2.0%
 2017   2,783 -12.6%    662 -12.5%
 2018   3,203 +15.1%    716  +8.2%
 2019   3,404  +6.3%    676  -5.6%
 2020   3,472  +2.0%    911 +34.8%
 2021   3,744  +7.8%  1,052 +15.5%
 2022   3,053 -18.5%    937 -10.9%
 2023   2,814  -7.8%    758 -19.1%
 2024   2,386 -15.2%    636 -16.1%

Prowler(s)

 Year   Eugene      Springfield
------ ----------- -------------
 2014   183          96
 2015   222 +21.3%  113 +17.7%
 2016   206  -7.2%   92 -18.6%
 2017   199  -3.4%   93  +1.1%
 2018   240 +20.6%   92  -1.1%
 2019   233  -2.9%   84  -8.7%
 2020   394 +69.1%   80  -4.8%
 2021   664 +68.5%   84  +5.0%
 2022   667  +0.5%  115 +36.9%
 2023   695  +4.2%   98 -14.8%
 2024   559 -19.6%   83 -15.3%

Illegal Burning

 Year   Eugene        Springfield
------ ------------- -------------
 2014      88          8
 2015     110 +25.0%  11  +37.5%
 2016      91 -17.3%   9  -18.2%
 2017     139 +52.7%   5  -44.4%
 2018     156 +12.2%   7  +40.0%
 2019     247 +58.3%  12  +71.4%
 2020     482 +95.1%  21  +75.0%
 2021     443  -8.1%  14  -33.3%
 2022     626 +41.3%  39 +178.6%
 2023     876 +39.9%  50  +28.2%
 2024   1,303 +48.7%  77  +54.0%

Person Stop

 Year   Eugene        Springfield
------ ------------- -------------
 2014   9,511         2,489
 2015   8,314 -12.6%  2,157 -13.3%
 2016   6,766 -18.6%  2,139  -0.8%
 2017   6,168  -8.8%  2,145  +0.3%
 2018   3,200 -48.1%  2,064  -3.8%
 2019   3,384  +5.8%  1,537 -25.5%
 2020   2,796 -17.4%    909 -40.9%
 2021   1,604 -42.6%    468 -48.5%
 2022   1,461  -8.9%    351 -25.0%
 2023   1,012 -30.7%    633 +80.3%
 2024   1,060  +4.7%    776 +22.6%

Illegal Camping

 Year   Eugene         Springfield
------ -------------- -------------
 2014     753          143
 2015     826   +9.7%  172 +20.3%
 2016   1,149  +39.1%  243 +41.3%
 2017   1,180   +2.7%  277 +14.0%
 2018     908  -23.1%  352 +27.1%
 2019     708  -22.0%  448 +27.3%
 2020     347  -51.0%  368 -17.9%
 2021      97  -72.0%  438 +19.0%
 2022     690 +611.3%  588 +34.2%
 2023     717   +3.9%  245 -58.3%
 2024     396  -44.8%  139 -43.3%

Year 2024 Summary (top 40 incidents, Eugene & Springfield combined)

   %       Count    Incident Type
-------  --------  ---------------
 20.24    16,701    Traffic Stop
  9.47     7,815    Criminal Trespass
  8.99     7,420    Dispute
  3.66     3,022    Disorderly Subject
  3.51     2,898    Suspicious Condition(s)
  3.44     2,835    Theft
  2.29     1,893    Traffic Hazard
  2.23     1,836    Person Stop
  1.84     1,519    Warrant Service
  1.67     1,380    Illegal Burning
  1.66     1,371    Burglary
  1.60     1,320    Alarm
  1.60     1,316    Suspicious Subject(s)
  1.53     1,266    Motor Vehicle Unknown
  1.46     1,207    Criminal Mischief
  1.32     1,093    Driving While Suspended
  1.32     1,091    Disabled Vehicle(s)
  1.22     1,009    Abandoned Vehicle
  1.21     1,000    Theft from Vehicle
  1.18       973    Loud Noise
  1.16       957    Unauthorized Use of Vehicle
  1.14       942    Assist Outside Agency
  1.03       853    Hit & Run
  1.00       824    Found Property
  0.94       773    Reckless Driving
  0.94       773    Unknown Problem
  0.89       731    Shoplifter(s)
  0.88       725    ATL Drunk Driver
  0.86       712    Assault
  0.80       664    Dog(s) at Large
  0.78       645    Motor Vehicle No Injury
  0.78       642    Prowler(s)
  0.72       595    Missing Person(s)
  0.65       535    Illegal Camping
  0.58       481    Suspicious Vehicle(s)
  0.54       447    Subpoena Service
  0.49       408    Shot(s) Fired
  0.45       370    Disorderly Juvenile(s)
  0.45       369    DUII
  0.40       327    Subject Screaming

"Payne, 36, died after he was handcuffed, shot with a stun gun and then held down with deputies’ knees on his back outside the jail, despite his pleas that he could not breathe, according to court documents."

"The judge ruled that the deputies involved are not entitled to qualified immunity at this stage in the case, finding that the deputies “knew or should have known” that placing pressure on Payne’s back or neck could result in asphyxia."

"Griesel “muted his body cam” audio while talking with medics, in violation of Eugene police policy"

Fuck the police. Thank god for this judge, it's incredibly rare to see qualified immunity revoked. AFAICT none of these officers faced any form of discipline for this.

Help end qualified immunity - aaqi.org

Senate:

Merkley (D) No, Wyden (D), Yes (BOTH represent Eugene)

House:

Republicans: Bentz: Yes, Chavez-DeRemer: Yes

Democrats: Blumenauer: Yes, Bonamici: No, Hoyle: No, Salinas : Yes (HOYLE represents Eugene)

Not sure which rep is yours? Find out in one click https://myreps.datamade.us/

President:

Biden (D) - Voted Yes by signing the bill/not vetoing

My personal take (please put your own thoughts in the comments):
I don't use TikTok, I think it's trash. The TikTok ban was initially Trump's idea, while he was president, but he couldn't get congress to pass it. But when Biden and dems gained power, they passed it, with a provision set so that the ban doesn't actually come into effect until the start of Trump's turn, where he can cancel it and look like a hero to fans of TikTok and free speech more generally. The democrats handed Trump an absolute win on this for no good reason.

The TikTok ban is one of the biggest attacks on free speech I have seen in my lifetime. The government should not be able to dictate how you get your news, period. It's your right to read, view, and speak what you want, even advocating for the overthrow of the government, that's why we have the first amendment. You should be able to buy a book or watch a movie, regardless of what country that speech was produced in. Our right to free speech protects all our other rights, this is an incredibly dangerous precedent. And it won't help them get the youth vote they so desperately need to win elections.

Banning TikTok isn't fighting China, it's becoming China. It's using the same "foreign interference" and "protect the children" line used by despots globally from Xi to Putin as they ban newspapers, websites, and anybody critical of their regime. "But China does it" isn't the great defense people seem to think it is, we don't want to do the same things China does. China is an autocracy.

We can lose our right to abortion or privacy and use free speech to get it back. If we lose our right to free speech, there's no other right that works the same except possibly the second amendment. The road to tyranny is paved by the loss of individual liberties.

The last thing I want is for the incoming administration to have a nice, legal pathway to clamp down on speech which is critical of them, and platforms which allow that speech. And dems just rolled out the carpet for them on this. Thank you to Val Hoyle for defending our right to free speech and voting against the majority of her party, that is principle! She has generally been very good on speech-related bills which I am thankful for even if I don't agree with her on everything.

Source for votes:

Senate: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00154.htm#state

House: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202486

Brad Currier, a 20-year employee of the bakery and BCTGM union representative, says they’ll be in the same place they are now when Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) International Union Local 114 is negotiating their next contract in three years.

“We’re expecting things to get worse, not better, over the next three years,” Currier says.

“They’re coming into work on the scheduled shift, and then they’re told that their shift has been canceled, and that they need to come in the next day, which is their scheduled day off,” Gettman says. “This happens to them all the time, so they have zero work-life balance.”

Sam Bond's is closing after almost 30 years. I feel like this is one of the most iconic closures since Max's.

The end of an era in Eugene. :'(

Hey everyone, just a quick PSA: Oregon ballots are in the mail as of today. (Oct. 16th, 2024).

Go to https://OregonVotes.gov/MyVote to find out when yours will be in the mail!

Go to https://OregonVotes.gov/Counties if you have any issues or concerns to bring up with your county elections office!

VOTE!

Just spotted that we made this list on Forbes last week. We're famous!

Where could I find a CRT Monitor in Eugene?

I picked up an old Amiga 500 recently and unfortunately no display that I currently have works with it. If any of you know where I could pick up a CRT locally, ideally one that's around 14", that would be great.

@eugene

#Eugene

YouTube recommended a video about the Klamath river being rewilded after the removal of all the dams. I thought it was pretty cool to see the progress so far.

If anyone is interested, I have Egyptian walking onion bulbs for sale https://eugene.craigslist.org/grd/d/eugene-beautiful-egyptian-walking-onion/7785624808.html

These are my absolute favorite garden superstars-- a PERENNIAL ONION that is versatile and thrives in our area. You can harvest the topsets to use like onions or garlic, use the stems like chives/green onions, or harvest the whole bulbs like a yellow onion. I'm selling my fall harvest of topsets for less than half the price you get 'em for at Territorial

Is it just me or do a LOT of cats seem to go missing in Eugene?

I just feel bad for all the poor cats 🥺

@eugene

I hate the fact that it's almost fall now, and we're seeing temperatures around 100 degrees fahrenheit and smoke from first fires. In September.

Just a heads up, there's a severe thunderstorm alert right now:

https://g.co/kgs/7NQdqAJ

Many of you are probably familiar with the CW series iZombie, which is set in Seattle. But less people are aware of the comic book that inspired the series, which is set right here in Eugene.

I instantly fell in love with this comic for many reasons: the art. The characters. The world-building. But my favorite part is that the artists have clearly done their homework: they use actual locations in Eugene (Shelton McMurphy House, Yah-Po-Ah Terrace, the university, etc.) Not only that, but there are constant references to urban legends across the state, like the Portland Shanghai Tunnels and the Devils Lake monster in Lincoln City.

If you haven't read this comic, I'd highly recommend it. It's not every day Eugene, Oregon is the setting for an epic urban fantasy series. And it's not every day that such locations are depicted so accurately.

Just saying.

Rent in Eugene is high for one simple reason: it's a highly desirable place to live and the people who want to live here are all competing to rent the same units. There is more demand than supply, by a lot. Period. We have under-built for decades despite consistent net migration into our city. Landlords can charge the rent they do because somebody will pay it. The only way to get lower average rents is to reverse migration into Eugene or increase the housing supply.

Why have we under-built for decades? Because city council is an elected position. Homeowners vote, tenants tend to not vote. And to make this worse, homeowners benefit from this supply & demand mismatch because it causes their property values to go up. Politicians don't listen to blocks of voters who don't vote. Eugene homeowners, the neighborhood associations, etc have all lobbied successfully for "single family only" zoning and kept development out. City Council members also tend to be homeowners because at 15K a year you basically need a second source of income to even scrape by on that salary. Tenants and homeowners have opposite goals when it comes to land value.

So tenants, if you care about rent prices, make sure you vote, and make sure your city councilors hear from you that you want more units. If you don't like the options you get at the ballot box in general elections or think there aren't enough, vote in the primaries where your vote will have an even greater impact since you'll be choosing who other people get to vote for. All you need to do in order to vote in the primaries is select a party and your ballot will be mailed to you automatically. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes, can be done online, and you can change parties whenever you want. Selecting a party doesn't mean you have to vote for that party, only that you get the chance to vote in their primary. And vote YES on Ranked Choice Voting which is a measure that will be up for vote in the November election.

What about private equity? Blackrock? "Price-fixing software"?

I know it's popular to point the finger at private equity, AirBnb, or price-fixing software or whoever, but they are drops in the bucket compared to the massive supply and demand mismatch we have. And many urban areas in America have. Price fixing software won't enable you to charge more for rent than the market will allow, because another landlord without said price fixing software will just rent at a more reasonable price and get the tenant while your unit sits vacant and burns a hole in your pocket.

What about rent control?

Rent control will just advantage people in existing units while disadvantaging anybody who moves here from elsewhere or even from in-town. It also gives your landlord great incentive to constructively evict you and means whenever you move, your rent will take a very steep hike. It just polarizes the rental market. The total amount of rent being paid stays roughly the same, it's just no longer equally distributed among the entire renting population. Rent control doesn't work. Yes, it freezes rents for some segments of the population, but it prejudices in favor of whoever happens to be in a unit right this very moment and never moves and screws over everybody else w higher rent, especially those trying to get off the street!

What about expanding the Urban Growth Boundary?

This would make more cheap land available for development at the expense of nature being harder to access and farther away. We can build up without building out. I'm not in favor of expanding the UGB personally, but it would probably help.

But I hate all these new luxury condos!

K be mad then, but it's more supply. Now people who can afford luxury condos will rent them instead of out-bidding you for other units.

But the condos are all empty?!?

As a tenant, you want vacant units. Vacant units mean landlords have to live with the threat of their units not being rented, which means they will lower prices to make sure they stay occupied. Vacant units mean more negotiating power for tenants which turns up in things like pet-friendly complexes. Every market has inefficiencies and vacant units, this is normal. Trust me, those vacant units are costing them money. If they remain vacant long enough, the price will drop. That only happens if they actually remain vacant though, which our supply & demand mismatch won't actually let happen sustainably.

What about banning corporations from owning homes?

The legal structure of an entity owning a property doesn't matter, they can't actually set prices, the market does. Just like you can't buy a $1 million house and sell it for $2 million tomorrow, neither can blackrock. If they are sitting on property, they are losing money, but that's only true if the real estate market doesn't going up because we keep refusing to build more real estate. You need corporations to build apartment complexes, they require tens of million dollars to build, which means you need investors, which means you need a legal structure for investment to occur through safely. Most single home landlords are also LLCs.

What about forcing developers to make "affordable" units?

How do you make low and medium income housing? You build new, luxury housing and wait 20 years. This is similar to rent control where it just shifts around the rent to different parts of the market. Additionally, doing this makes this place less attractive to developers. Developers want to build units that are actually going to make them money, the more red tape and regulations, the more money they waste fighting or complying with them. And it's not just the developer's decision: they have to answer to investors. Investors don't want to invest in things which don't make money. Apartment complexes cost tens of millions of dollars, you need people to invest to make that happen, so you need to make investment attractive. Investors have the luxury of investing wherever they want. Unless Eugene is "investable", they will go elsewhere and you get no units.

These lots will sit empty while 12,000-plus people try to attend the event,” Eugene Pride President Brooks McLain writes in an emailed statement to Eugene Weekly. “Parking is being blocked starting before our festival begins.”0

Pride’s parking needs are “superseded” by an August 10 Ween concert at the Cuthbert Amphitheater, which is owned and operated by Kesey Enterprises, according to a press release from Pride organizers.

Per a 2006 concession agreement — a contract — between Kesey Enterprises and the city of Eugene, the private entertainment company has first right of refusal for parking around Cuthbert between May 1 and Oct. 31 annually.

If you're attending, you can read the Peach Pit online here. I'm not going to be able to make it this year, but hope Eugeneans who can have a great time.

And stay hydrated! It's still going to be beastly hot out!

“Ten dollars is what you need on average to live a day on the street, and so that’s about two bags of cans. If you’re saying you can only bring one, you need two bags, (so) that’s two trips on the bus. How do you protect that one bag of cans while you’re going and canning on another?”

On missing redemption facility hours:

“If you don’t make it and you have to keep them,” she said, “if you’re homeless that means you don’t get to sleep that night. You have to stay awake and babysit your cans or someone’s going to come along and steal them from you.”