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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Patridge accused of retaliation by deputy D.A. ... Emergency services, Nov. 6 ... Central Point man arrested on meth charges ... Patridge accused of retaliation by deputy D.A. ... Emergency services, Nov. 6 ... Central Point man arrested on meth charges ... Ashland City Council looks for ways to limit aggressive transients Comment By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 3, 2015 at 4:34 PM By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 3, 2015 at 4:34 PM » Social News Ashland City Council Monday came up with a range of strategies to limit aggressive panhandling and other threatening behaviors — including a death threat delivered downtown to the face of City Councilor Stefani Seffinger. She informed a shocked council and others in attendance at a study session in the Council Chambers that she was approached by four homeless people downtown and told, “We know who you are, and we want you dead.” The news triggered a council discussion about where free speech crosses over into a crime. Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara said Oregon law has very strict rules protecting civil liberties “to a ridiculous extent,” and such an act doesn’t have a criminal element to it unless a weapon, including a fist, is presented. However, City Attorney David Loman said he’s researched laws of many cities on offensive conduct and says he believes the definition of “aggressive solicitation” can be expanded in ways that aren’t prohibited by First Amendment guarantees of free speech. Loman said the city might find help in a state law that prohibits “engaging in threatening behavior with a public insult in a way that could provoke a response.” The council directed staff to explore action on that and a range of other strategies, including: An outreach worker downtown who communicates with the homeless, determines who is in real need of mental health and other social services and helps connects them. This would also sort such people from so-called “travelers” who are seen as the main disrupters and aren’t part of the Ashland community. Explore allocation of police resources downtown, finding strategies for a greater police presence on the street, possibly including cadets from the criminal justice program of Southern Oregon University. O’Meara said he’s “opened the checkbook” for officers who want to put in more overtime there. Institute strict zero-tolerance enforcement for any open container of alcohol or pot smoking downtown. Councilor Greg Lemhouse said there’s a time and place for “pushback,” and this is it. Police work, he said, “is an art as well as a science, to know what a community wants.” He also suggested posting of signs to this effect. O’Meara said he didn’t think zero-tolerance was the solution. Explore options of jail space for offenders, including more use of the county jail, which, O’Meara said, costs $110 per day per bed, plus the need for legal staff to be there for arraignment the next day. O’Meara said, because of crowding, cited offenders are often released without bail before the officer gets back to Ashland. A "Downtown Streets Program," suggested by Councilor Pam Marsh, putting the homeless to work on street and creek maintenance and paying them with chits for housing. This program has reduced panhandling in Palo Alto by 75 percent, she said. Councilors were polled on each option, with zero tolerance, more mental health help and a larger police presence coming out near unanimous. Police often work on education and warnings of offenders before citing them, but councilors viewed that approach as ineffective, given the landslide of complaints this summer about travelers and their impact on public safety and quality of life. On the other hand, Mayor John Stromberg told O’Meara police frequently aren’t available when one of the travelers or a group of them break the law — and when police do give a citation, the offender often crumples it up and laughs at the officer. “It certainly does happen,” said O’Meara, with many persistent failures to appear in court and fines referred to collection with no result. However, the frequent contact with the homeless, he adds, does help police identify all of them and lead to solving of other crimes. O’Meara bemoaned being short eight officers and noted it takes a year to train a new one to this community. Cadets, he said, can enforce low-level infractions, provide a law-enforcement presence and notify officers of crimes and the need for arrests. Asked if the array of city ordinances is “changing behaviors” among the homeless, O’Meara said each ordinance “allows us to address a specific problem ... and plug holes we missed ... but it’s going to take the community changing and getting involved” to resolve it. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 3, 2015 at 4:34 PM » 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... 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