City of Eugene, OR

07/17/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2025 16:54

Downtown safety strategies reflected in crime statistics

Downtown safety strategies reflected in crime statistics

Historically, public safety issues in Downtown Eugene usually rise in the summer, however with a concerted effort, staffing strategies, and other programs, Eugene Police has been working the downtown area this summer and arrests plus some key crime categories are moving in a good direction.

Downtown is the cultural heart and economic engine of Eugene and it is a community priority to invest in solutions to support a vibrant downtown. Biennium initiatives have included:

  • Staffing adjustments to optimize coverage downtown when it is needed most
  • Focus on crime prevention by targeting Criminal Trespass as a priority
  • Work by EPD's Co-responder program, which has proven to be an effective alternative to police model funded by the Community Safety Payroll Tax. This funds a team comprised of a Lane County Behavioral Health professional alongside a downtown police officer to respond to people experiencing a behavioral health or life crisis for a stronger pathway for treatment of underlying mental health or substance use disorders
  • Downtown Volunteers (Yellowjackets), pairs of EPD volunteers who 'patrol' downtown on foot helping downtown business and community members, increasing positive presence and safety
  • downtown and increase safety and security.
  • Downtown Watch, a portal for reportingissues of cleanliness, graffiti, or bio-hazards to be swiftly addressed by Rapid Response Team. Downtown Watch - Report a Concern | Eugene, OR Website

Rapid Response Clean Team, to address reported concerns downtown from High Street to Lawrence Street and 6th Avenue to 11th Avenue.

  • Private Security
  • Activation and Placemaking (Farmers Market, events such as tree lighting, Halloween, summer activities)

Information from January 1 through July 1. All the number below reflect percent change versus the first half of 2024.

Downtown, the number of Calls for Service that were closed by arrest increased by 33 percent while the number resulting in Citations in Lieu of Custody have decreased by 9 percent. Criminal Trespass is the number one call for service and the number of calls resulting in charges, meaning either an arrest or citation, increased by 59 percent versus the first half of 2024, which reflects EPD's focus on this as a crime prevention strategy. A total of 67 percent of all calls with charges are the result of officer-initiated activity, and 49 percent of all arrests and citations were the result of officer-initiated Patrol Check calls. Warrant Arrest charges downtown increased 119 percent versus 2024, from 103 to 225. And, Criminal Trespass in the Second-Degree charges, which are the most common charge downtown, increased 9 percent vs. last year. Those two charges make up 44 percent of all charges in the downtown zone.

Calls with a higher degree of violence have decreased with the following showing decreases from 32 percent to 77 percent:

Assault - decreased from 58 reports to 40

Assault with injury - decreased from 12 reports to 8

Robbery - decreased from 16 reports to 5

Menacing - decreased from 16 reports to 6

Quality of life calls also show decreases ranging from 7 percent to 54 percent

Overdose - decreased from 108 reports to 64

Criminal Mischief - decreased from 83 reports to 62

Theft from Vehicle - decreased from 69 reports to 34

Burglary - decreased from 41 reports to 30

Unauthorized Use Vehicle - decreased from 44 reports to 27

There are increases in the call type "Welfare Check since Q2 this year, which is in line with an increase across the city. There are increases for other call types such as Criminal Trespass, Dispute, Theft and Bike Theft, Fight, Armed Subject, and Unlawful Vehicle Entry.

The chart below shows Public Calls For Service downtown in the first half of the past three years, with a focus on calls relating to person crimes or quality of life. The percent change is versus the previous year:

Nature

2023

2024

%Ch

2025

%Ch2

CRIMINAL TRESPASS

772

733

-5.1%

763

4.1%

DISORDERLY SUBJECT

288

230

-20.1%

227

-1.3%

DISPUTE

215

207

-3.7%

217

4.8%

CHECK WELFARE

192

198

3.1%

213

7.6%

THEFT

110

85

-22.7%

91

7.1%

SUSPICIOUS CONDITIONS

99

87

-12.1%

71

-18.4%

OVERDOSE

79

108

36.7%

64

-40.7%

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

69

83

20.3%

62

-25.3%

ASSAULT

49

58

18.4%

40

-31.0%

THEFT FROM VEHICLE

109

69

-36.7%

34

-50.7%

BURGLARY

40

41

2.5%

30

-26.8%

UNAUTHORIZED USE OF VEHICLE

44

44

0.0%

27

-38.6%

SUSPICIOUS SUBJECT

42

45

7.1%

26

-42.2%

THEFT OF BICYCLE

21

16

-23.8%

24

50.0%

FIGHT

15

8

-46.7%

16

100.0%

SHOPLIFT

5

1

-80.0%

15

1400.0%

UNLAWFUL VEHICLE ENTRY

4

7

75.0%

13

85.7%

TRASH BIN FIRE

12

12

0.0%

9

-25.0%

ARMED SUBJECT

9

6

-33.3%

8

33.3%

ASSAULT WITH INJURY

19

12

-36.8%

8

-33.3%

MENACING

10

16

60.0%

6

-62.5%

DISORDERLY JUVENILES

10

6

-40.0%

6

0.0%

INTOXICATED SUBJECT

6

6

0.0%

5

-16.7%

ROBBERY

14

16

14.3%

5

-68.8%

RAPE

4

4

0.0%

4

0.0%

SHOTS FIRED

9

4

-55.6%

4

0.0%

FOUND SYRINGE

4

3

-25.0%

3

0.0%

ARMED DISPUTE

7

4

-42.9%

2

-50.0%

GUNSHOT WOUND

1

0

-100.0%

1

-

STAB WOUND

5

5

100.0%

1

-80.0%

ASSAULT APA

1

0

-100.0%

0

0.0%

ARSON

0

1

-

0

-

INTIMIDATION

0

1

-

0

-100.0%

All Other

1553

1392

-10.4%

1367

-1.8%

Total

3817

3508

-8.1%

3362

-4.2%

City of Eugene, OR published this content on July 17, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 17, 2025 at 22:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io