City of Eugene provides background, statement on parking meter incident

Submitted by Mark Furman on Thu, 2010-01-14 17:18

KVAL News received the following information from the City of Eugene regarding an incident Wednesday involving an expired parking meter:

Background from Police and Parking staff

Yesterday, a parking control officer was out working near 5th Ave. and Willamette. She was writing a ticket on an expired meter. Because it was raining, she was in her cart completing the ticket. A man, Benjamin Burns Bond, parked in an adjacent spot and put money in his meter.

He then also plugged the expired meter after the ticket was already in progress and was angry when the parking officer placed the ticket on the vehicle. He followed the female parking officer for three blocks in his truck, intimidating and threatening her. She was afraid and took the unusual step of calling 9-1-1 and staying on the line because she feared for her safety. A witness reported seeing Mr. Bond red-faced and animated, yelling and gesturing towards her from his truck.

Two police officers were dispatched, per regular practice because there were two involved parties. However, a third police officer driving near the scene responded because of his proximity and because it is rare for parking control to ask for back up. Mr. Bond was handcuffed at the scene and placed into a patrol car without any resistance. At that point, he could have been taken to jail, but police offered him a citation if he would only leave the area and stop threatening the employee. Mr. Bonds then was allowed to go with the citation for Harassment and Obstructing a Government Agency. Police were not called to respond because Mr. Bond plugged meters. They were called because he was intimidating and threatening the employee.

Statement from City Manager Jon Ruiz

The parking control officer has worked dutifully in this job for 12 years. In those years, she has rarely, if ever, felt her safety to be in jeopardy like she felt yesterday. I personally spoke with her this morning and she was still upset and visibly shaken by the encounter. It is wrong and intolerable for any City employee to be intimidated, threatened and prevented from doing his or her work on behalf of City of Eugene citizens.

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Comments

Submitted by TM (not verified) on Thu, 2010-01-14 19:08.

I have to admit, I have done this too. I used to work downtown and would be outside on break and see the meter reader coming and notice cars with no time left on the meter and feed it a coin or two. After all, what is a quarter compared to a huge ticket. What a way to wreck someone's day.

I have also been against Eugene charging to park downtown. The city wonders why there is no business-this is partially why. On the other hand, it does generate funds for whatever they use "those coins" on.

This guy should of NOT been such a pest with the meter reader though. Watch that temper, Mr. Bonds! She was doing her job.

Submitted by Jeff Nickel (not verified) on Thu, 2010-01-14 20:06.

To whom it may concern:

I think it is ridiculous that someone was arrested for "Obstruction" of the Parking Meter Attendent. The "Harassment" charge may be something that is deserved depending on the level of hostility in the situation. If Mayor Piercy says that the Eugene Police Department will not send an officer out for "Meter Plugging", I think someone should coordinate a non-violent, peaceful protest and send several people downtown with $5.00 in quarters, spread out and put change in expired meters, where vehicles are parked. My family and I would be there with "change in hand". Something needs to be done about E.P.D.! Their conduct is continuing to get out of the realm of common sense.

Respectfully,

Jeff Nickel

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2010-01-15 01:37.

Obstruction of justice is an attempt to interfere with the administration of the courts, the judicial system or law enforcement officers. It may include tampering with or intimidating, hiding evidence or interfering with an arrest. It is something a person does to impede the administration of a court process or proper discharge of a legal duty. Interference may be with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other (usually government) officials.

Therefore he did commit obstruction and harrassment. Let her do her job. Next time he needs to pay attention to the meter. Everyone has to pay for parking downtown so there should be punishment for those who fail. So what if he came back and put more change in. IT WAS EXPIRIED. That's like a shoplifter getting caught for stealing and then tries to pay for it afterward because he has the money. Do some research before you bash the Eugene Police Department.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2010-01-15 15:18.

You, Mr. Nickel, are an idiot.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2010-01-15 10:17.

I have never been charged with, nor have I ever committed a crime. I have, however, felt intimadated and harrassed by the Eugene Police. Were they ever charged??? Of course not! One motorcycle officer cut me off on the Beltline almost causing a major accident - because he didn't see me to his left. No wonder they can't fund police here - they treat people terribly.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2010-01-15 12:15.

End metered parking downtown! It is a drain to the local businesses!

Maybe the city should experiment with a localized business tax for the areas they'd remove parking meters. If it were to increase business, let businesses pay.

On the other hand, police would have to monitor squatters I suppose.

Submitted by Sue (not verified) on Fri, 2010-01-15 20:42.

I am happy to hear the "rest of the story", as the late Paul Harvey would say. I currently live in Bend, where this was on our local news (and we don't pay for short term downtown parking, yet). The sound bite was that the person was cited, for some rather large amount, for putting a quarter in an expired meter parked as a kind gesture. Oh, what a rotten thing for this unkind Parking Control Officer to do...

As a more than 10 year employee of the City of Eugene, I know the Parking Control Officers have a thankless job. They do not deserve to be harrassed for doing what they are paid to do. It wasn't even this person's meter or his ticket, and the Parking Control Officer had already started the ticket, so he should have just walked away--was it worth the cost of a quarter to start a big scene? Probably so, if he wanted attention...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2010-01-16 00:45.

Eugene is weak like its 11:43pm and i have a nosiy street cleaner driving by my house the funny this the last time it came by it broke down they left a large oil miss all over the street and they never cleaned it up

this city has always been ran poorly think of it like this

you have guy who ran fresno running eugene

have you ever been to fresno it sucks bad the city is a dump just like euegene is now

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2010-01-17 15:41.

I do as little business in Eugene as possible , due to all of it's anti-business policies, including extortion of drivers.

I'm sick of the Government attitude that we work for them.

Submitted by Scott Glauser (not verified) on Mon, 2010-01-18 20:38.

I don't live in Eugene, but I can tell you I hate shopping downtown. You never know exactly how long you'll be and so you never know how much money to put in, or if your meter will run out before you return. It's just not worth the huge fine. I avoid downtown at all costs. When are cities going to realize they are losing much more on potential sales than they make in the meters?

Submitted by Anonymous-from the Midwest (not verified) on Wed, 2010-01-20 08:07.

It it true that Bond should have maintained his cool as his temper did turn a good Samaritan act into something less good--and God knows we need more Samaritan acts. However, the resulting handcuffing by the Eugene police certainly creates a less than positive impression of that city and its officials. Considering it has made national news, someone along the way should have started to think logically and figured out a way to de-escalate the situation. After all, the guy did wait to be arrested--did he resist arrest, or is it common practice to handcuff? Do handcuffs always leave marks? Eugene, OR has certainly acquired an interesting reputation.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2010-02-05 00:32.

In the Past, I have lived in Eugene. I do Agreed to Mr. Bond should walk away and stayed cool. but my Impresion with the Eugene Police Department they get a way with alot of things.

I remenber when i lived in Eugene, i coming from Work at west 11 th st and few minutes later a police car was follow me for long time, and when i turning to my Appartment complex he put the ligt on, and the Sound

When he come to my Window ask for my Licence, registration, and insurance i give to him.I ask him why he wait so long to stop me in the road.

He give me citation for 2 tikets, one for changed lane and other for turning left.

My question why he follow me so long, before stop me???????

Another thing that i dont like, is about if you call the Police for any Emergency they always ask, the Race of the Person.

That why i lived in Springfield, The Police is More respecfull to the citizen.