Public Safety

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden announced Friday that he has made a deal with AI-license-plate reader company Flock to limit other state’s access to Oregon’s data.

Lane County and a volunteer auxiliary group, the Lane County Sheriff Mounted Posse, were sued in federal court Tuesday over allegations of racial profiling, assault and civil rights violations.

Eugene Police say crime appears to be going down in the city’s core. Calls reporting assault, robbery, and menacing behavior have all decreased downtown in the last year.

The fire restrictions apply to the entire Willamette National Forest including Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Waldo Lake and Diamond Peak Wilderness areas.

Gov. Tina Kotek warns of worsening fire conditions as summer continues.

Springfield City Council unanimously voted to send an expanded fire levy to the ballot Monday in hopes of recovering the true cost of providing fire service.

Public meetings, interviews and police data show a public safety issue in west Eugene, with businesses at the forefront.

Springfield City Council has approved next year’s budget. The new spending plan includes nearly $1.4 million in cuts.

Lane County has a new sheriff. Carl Wilkerson, a thirty-year veteran with the Lane County Sheriff’s Department, was sworn in Wednesday.

Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would loosen restrictions on how police can use drones. A coalition that includes privacy and racial justice advocates say the measure would allow wide-spread, warrantless searches.

Eugene and Springfield police have purchased license plate readers that use AI to make digital fingerprints of vehicles. Police say they're a tool to gather objective evidence. Privacy advocates fear the system could put Oregon’s vulnerable residents at risk.

Anticipating a hot and dry Fourth of July, the Newport city council voted this week to ban personal fireworks this summer.