EUGENE, Ore. — On November 10, a Eugene Police detective, Lane County Behavioral Health peer navigator, and a EPD patrol officer teamed up for a special three-hour focus on trespassing and drug use with the goal of getting people into treatment by offering those they contacted deflection instead of jail.
Deflection, a program through the Lane County Behavioral Health Deflection Program, is a community-based alternative to jail and prosecution for drug possession and low-level quality of life crimes that offers access to programs and treatment instead of citations and jail. Four out of five people contacted Monday chose deflection.
For three hours, the detective worked with a deflection peer navigator to locate people and the first three he contacted were on the north side of Eugene Clean Laundromat, 825 W. 7th Avenue. Two out of the three agreed to take part in deflection, which routes them into treatment instead of jail. The third, a 35-year-old man, opted for being cited for Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree. The two choosing deflection were a woman in her 30s, and an 18-year-old woman. They each received deflection for Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree and Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS) Schedule II (Fentanyl).
The detective then spotted a man smoking a substance, later found to be fentanyl, in W. 7th Alley at Jefferson Street. The 65-year-old man was already in the deflection program and he was in possession of powdered fentanyl. His deflection program navigator responded to the location and the man agreed to engage in more intensive drug treatment. He was provided deflection for PCS Schedule II (Fentanyl)
Finally, at W. 7th Alley and Lawrence Street, the detective observed a man walking from group to group at W. 7th Alley at Lawrence Street. The 24-year-old man had a clear baggie in his hand, and he ran but quickly was taken into custody. The man gave a false name initially, but his identity was soon sorted out, and he opted for deflection for PSC Schedule II (Fentanyl).