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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 20, 2006 Ashland police step up downtown patrol By Robert Plain For the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Police are stepping up their downtown presence following meetings between the city's business leaders, Mayor John Morrison and Ashland police. "Police are going to a bigger presence downtown," Morrison said following the most recent meeting, on Monday."I think most people would agree we do have a problem down there." Sandra Slattery, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce said, "There are some major issues we need to deal with. Our biggest concern is that we have a safe, welcoming downtown for residents, visitors and our business owners. It's about the whole functioning of the downtown." Slattery and Chamber President Graham Lewis said recent vandalism that damaged the Plaza's lithia water fountains and beheaded the Lincoln statue nearby motivated the chamber and downtown business owners to seek an audience with the mayor and police department. Lewis said the meetings have also been concerned with "working to separate criminal vandalism and aggressive panhandling from people who need help." He said the issues have been lumped together where it concerns problems on the Plaza. Advertisement "The police pretty much know who's doing what," he said. "It isn't the homeless people. Officers Teresa Selby and Terry DeSilva have a lot of information about who on the streets has been doing what." Selby attended Monday's meeting and DeSilva attended previous meetings. Information police have been presenting at the meetings shows that downtown crime is on the rise, several who attended said. "We've seen a change in the make-up of the people who panhandle downtown," said Paul Nicholson, executive director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a participant in the ad hoc meetings. "There is concern that the aggressive behavior could turn bad. These are not people that should be confronted. Many of them are on drugs during the day. We understand that a number of them are carrying weapons." He said the situation has become so serious to some downtown business owners that he didn't want to identify specific members of the ad hoc meetings "because it could have an effect on their business." Ashland Police Chief Mike Bianca, who announced his resignation two weeks ago at the urging of top city leadership, disputed Nicholson's assessment and said he hears that crime is on the rise every year from the local business community. "Maybe one of the years it will be true," he said, noting that, to date, this year seems on par with others. "The faces change, but the scene is the same. These issues with drinking, vandalism and graffiti are the same ones we've been battling for the 20 years that I've been here. The most violent thing was the destruction of the Plaza fountains." Lewis, the Chamber president, said the ad hoc group has tentatively agreed to address the issue. He said they will try to educate the public about "not giving money to anyone on the streets" as well as having information in local hotel rooms about what tourists should do if they are "harassed by anyone on the streets." He also said they discussed locating a police substation close to the Plaza. Robert Plain is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. He can be reached at 482-3456 or [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement