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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Homeless have their say about new ordinances ... Candidate praises SOU model ... SOU keyboard student offers free community recital ... Homeless have their say about new ordinances ... Candidate praises SOU model ... SOU keyboard student offers free community recital ... COUNCIL CORNER Council Corner: Police need your support Comment By Rich Rosenthal DailyTidings.com By Rich Rosenthal Posted Jun. 1, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Rich Rosenthal Posted Jun. 1, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Last October, Mayor John Stromberg and City Councilor Stefani Seffinger hosted a town hall-style "listening session" to obtain citizen comments about individuals and groups of people behaving in ways that clash with the friendly and respectful lifestyle that is an integral part of what Ashland is about. They asked three primary questions: What behaviors have you found problematic, threatening, intimidating and dangerous? What can you tell us about the people causing these problems? What suggestions do you have for how to cope with the situation? Citizens packed the Council Chambers, provided hours of heartfelt, compelling testimony, and the majority of speakers as well as folks who provided written comments before and after the forum urged policymakers to take action. In response to those who expressed apprehension in walking through their own downtown out of fear of being sexually harassed, bitten by unvaccinated dogs, verbally assaulted and exposed to waves of second-hand smoke, etc., five of six city councilors generally voted in favor of ordinances and directives intended to help make Ashland a safer, healthier place to live and visit. The policy measures included: Banning smoking on public property in the downtown core. Requiring dogs in the downtown area to be vaccinated. Prohibiting intrusive solicitation and obstruction of sidewalks. Expanding the Enhanced Law Enforcement Area and revising the list of offenses that could result in a repeat offender being excluded from downtown. Contracting with Jackson County to rent jail beds to ensure egregious repeat offenders may be incarcerated if deemed appropriate by the municipal judge. Authorizing funding for an increased police cadet presence. As we enter the peak tourist season, I ask citizens to have confidence in our police in their efforts to appropriately communicate and enforce the updated municipal code. In doing so, police will inevitably be threatened, assaulted, accused of inappropriate tactics and so forth. Ashland has a highly professional, extraordinarily respectful, community policing approach. Regardless of how local law enforcement is perceived, the code revisions and our civic sensitivities will be challenged in a variety of ways, particularly in a election year. However, it will be a frustrating summer for those who blatantly break the law and eschew the principles of how we presently define public health and safety in the downtown area because status quo was not an acceptable policy decision. Rich Rosenthal is chairman of the Ashland City Council. By Rich Rosenthal DailyTidings.com By Rich Rosenthal Posted Jun. 1, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501