Eugene, OR. — A focused three-hour operation on November 10 resulted in most contacted individuals choosing treatment over arrest, as Eugene Police and Lane County Behavioral Health partners emphasized deflection instead of jail for low-level offenses.
An EPD detective, a Lane County Behavioral Health peer navigator, and a patrol officer worked together to address trespassing and drug use in west Eugene. The effort used the county’s Behavioral Health Deflection Program, which offers people facing drug possession or minor quality-of-life offenses an alternative to criminal charges, connecting them with treatment services rather than citations or incarceration.
Over the course of the operation, four out of five individuals accepted deflection.
The first contacts occurred on the north side of Eugene Clean Laundromat, where three individuals were approached. Two — a woman in her 30s and an 18-year-old woman — agreed to deflection and were routed into treatment for Criminal Trespass II and Possession of a Controlled Substance Schedule II (fentanyl). A 35-year-old man declined the offer and was cited for Criminal Trespass II.
Soon after, the detective spotted a 65-year-old man smoking what was later confirmed to be fentanyl in a nearby alley. Already enrolled in the deflection program, he agreed to engage in more intensive treatment after his navigator arrived. He was provided deflection for PCS Schedule II (fentanyl).
The final contact occurred in W. 7th Alley at Lawrence Street, when a 24-year-old man with a clear baggie in hand ran from police but was quickly detained. After initially giving a false name, he opted for deflection for PCS Schedule II (fentanyl).
Police noted that the operation’s goal was not enforcement alone but encouraging treatment and reducing recidivism. The deflection program continues to play a central role in diverting individuals with substance-use issues away from jail and toward recovery.
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