Community Service Officers (CSOs) serve a vital role in enhancing response by providing an alternative response to sending a sworn officer and by keeping the community safe. They can respond to certain non-emergency calls for service rather than sending a fully sworn officer, allowing officers to respond to more emergency calls. CSOs perform public safety support duties involving non-criminal code enforcement such as taking post-incident burglary and other reports, public assistance, and support to sworn police officers. Among their duties are responding to non-emergency calls to perform services such as arranging for towing vehicles, retrieving stolen property, providing assistance at routine collision scenes, performing traffic control and traffic hazard removal, and writing citations, either independently or in a support role. CSOs may serve as desk officers and prepare written reports on incidents not requiring a police officer response, such as noncriminal requests for assistance and parking complaints. CSOs also provide information to individuals and businesses on crime prevention topics and public safety regulations, policies, and procedures as appropriate.
The availability of CSOs to respond to nonemergency calls supports EPD’s efforts to handle more calls for service, both emergency and non-emergency. Adding CSOs also increases the timeliness of response and provides an enhanced level of service for callers.
The Eugene Police Department CSO Program has 24 budgeted full-time equivalent positions of which 15 of those are funded by the Community Safety Payroll Tax.