Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner says he wants to bring School Resource Officers back to the city’s schools.
He spoke to Eugene City Councilors during their Monday work session on public safety funding. Skinner said he’d like officers on school campuses to build relationships with students so that the only time they see one isn’t just when they’re in trouble.
“And I stand ready to build something really unique to this community,” Skinner said. “Ready to get back in this game and ready to do something unique with 4J and Bethel if they’ll just give us a chance to come to the table and talk about what it could look like.”
In response to community demands, the Eugene 4J School board last year voted to end their SRO program. Skinner also told councilors his officers are busy and don’t have time to better engage with the community. He pointed to the EPD’s lack of resources as a reason for that issue.
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