Spence

LA GRANDE — La Grande city officials are looking at ways to address issues of crime and homelessness in the downtown area.

Police Chief Gary Bell issued a letter to downtown merchants and community partners on Monday, Nov. 29, pointing out key issues and how the police department is working to improve the area. The letter came after the situation was discussed at the November city council meeting, prompting an ongoing discussion with local input.

“Our hope is that this may serve to reassure you and your employees that we do hear you and that you have my personal commitment, and that of the city of La Grande and the La Grande Police Department, to do all we can within our resource limitations to provide for the safety and felt security within our downtown and our community,” Bell wrote in the letter.

At the La Grande City Council meeting on Nov. 3, Councilor John Bozarth raised the issue of loitering at Max Square.

“It’s an eyesore for the community,” he said at the time. “There’s been a lot of problems there.”

The issues

Bell’s letter is in response to the discussion that ensued after Bozarth’s comments, as well as a memo of concern from a number of downtown businesses and residents who reported occurrences of vandalism, trespassing and activities they felt to be unsafe. A total of 18 entities combined their concern in the letter, including about 10 local businesses.

In his response, the chief of police described an increase in activity at Max Square over the past several years. He noted that actions have been taken to limit vandalism and loitering, such as removing picnic tables, trimming low-hanging trees for enhanced visibility, turning off power outlets when events are not taking place and altering the Wi-Fi schedule at Cook Memorial Library.

“Our police officers have provided special consideration to these matters, inasmuch as we can, in an effort to have a positive impact,” Bell wrote.

Bell also described a heightened focus through patrols, as well as efforts to make arrests for criminal law violations when necessary or provide assistance through partnering agencies.

“I think it’s appropriate to share that our mission at the police department is to ethically protect the lives, property and quality of life of the La Grande community to the best of our ability, while respecting the constitutional rights of all persons,” Bell said in the statement.

The challenge in any prospective action for law enforcement is the state’s prohibition of cities banning individuals from sleeping in public places. Ordinances are in place in the city stating that if individuals are involuntarily homeless, their need for rest and sleep cannot be criminalized in a public space — this is applied unless there is a designated overnight camping area in the city or indoor housing options available for the homeless.

The city council members discussed a variety of ways to handle the concerns, and ultimately found that the court system does not provide much of an answer to the issues at hand. In the past, arresting individuals for trespassing or smoking in a public park ended up being dismissed in court. Bell also cited Measure 110 as a means of limiting the police department’s ability to monitor the situation in the downtown area.

“This is a much larger issue than law enforcement, quite frankly,” Bell said at the meeting. “There’s a lot of tools that we don’t have in our toolbox anymore to fix some of these social issues.”

At the meeting, Bell also stated that the department is getting less calls for complaints about the congregation of individuals at Max Square — he pointed out that locals are likely becoming accustomed to seeing it.

Bell later noted that when called to make contact with homeless individuals in the city, officers provide information, assistance and explain available resources.

“When our officers have contact with people who we believe could benefit from available resources, we do our best to coordinate appropriate assistance,” he said. “Unfortunately, there are many times where individuals we communicate with are not interested.”

Addressing concerns

A week after the November council meeting, Bell met with City Manager Robert Strope and Parks and Recreation Coordinator Stu Spence for a follow-up discussion. According to Strope, the officials discussed options and possible directions that the city can go regarding the public concerns. They also spoke with several businesses and took suggestions to garner community involvement. Strope said Bell’s letter is the next step following that meeting, serving as a means to raise public awareness and continue to gather more input.

“I view it as the start of an ongoing discussion,” he said. “We need to figure out what we can collectively do moving forward.”

Bell concluded the letter by calling on residents to contact the La Grande Police Department if they witness any criminal violations, which he stated will help the department address the situation in the best way possible.

The police chief and other city officials will be holding a forum in the near future to gather more public input, answer questions and determine the best plan moving forward. The time and date of the forum will be released in the coming weeks.

“I can assure you that this is felt collectively and we’re working on it,” Bell said at the city council meeting. “We need public engagement and I think part of that is the education component so that our downtown, our business owners and people are aware that it’s not just going unattended.”

“I think it’s appropriate to share that our mission at the police department is to ethically protect the lives, property and quality of life of the La Grande community to the best of our ability, while respecting the constitutional rights of all persons.”

La Grande Police Chief Gary Bell