Public safety — or the perceived lack of — is a topic that has received much attention in recent years in Lane County. Defining “public safety” exactly and the level at which it is provided is a bit trickier.

Florence resident Bob Peters is the newest member of a citizen’s committee charged with defining the ambiguous phrase, determining an acceptable level of service and, perhaps most important, how to pay for those services.

The Lane Citizen Advocates for Public Safety (CAPS) was initiated and is co-chaired by former University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer and retired real estate broker Jean Tate. The group is an independent committee whose members are not appointed by county officials.

“We want to look at how the public safety system works, what it costs and whether there are ways that the various services can be delivered more cost effectively,” said Tate. “We hope to gauge the public mood.”



For the complete article see the 11-25-2009 issue.

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