Eugene community supports CAHOOTS at City Council meeting

On Monday, one week after CAHOOTS services closed down in Eugene, the community showed up in support, asking City Council to return funding. The CAHOOTS workers’ union had made a call to attend on Instagram and members announced it at the town hall last week.

Attendants filled up the 95 seats in the Council Chambers, while around 70 people sat in the overflow section, including many people having to sit on the ground. While some testified on other issues, such as electrifying Eugene and the fire fee, the dozens of people that testified in supporting CAHOOTS constituted the majority of public commenters. The backgrounds of the people who testified ranged the gamut, from downtown businesses owners to students to nonprofit workers.

“Here we are five years out from enacting a tax to support public safety… and we’re cutting CAHOOTS, the most effacious pillar of public safety,” Said Jacob Trewe, an accountant who noted this was important enough to show up on the busiest night’s of the year for his profession.

Attendees were supportive of each other, clapping and cheering after comments, and congratulating them when they exited the chamber and entered the overflow room. City staff were not happy about that, reminding them the code of conduct was to be silent. They announced that people would be kicked out if they did not keeep quiet, but ultimately no one was ever ejected.

Rebecca Hill, an adult mental health peer support specialist, testified to the service literally saving their life multiple times. In addition being an invaluable service for close family members. They not only talked about them providing trauma informed care, but providing transportation to a hospital for psychiatric care.

“We did not ask for Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County. We asked for CAHOOTS,” Hill closed out her testimony with.

Eli, who works for a crisis youth shelter, testified how the program upon has a form to gauge suicidal tendencies, and if it says that that they have a high tendency they will call CAHOOTS. Eli also noted this was their first City Council meeting they have showed up too.

Victoria Acosta, who is currently 18 years old, told a story from here sophmore year of high school, when she left her house after getting into a physical altercation with her dad. She says after fleeing her house and landing up on her neighbors couch, a police officer’s responded by telling her that she needed to go to church. It was at school that she learned about CAHOOTS, and how they can provide compassionate service.

“I was a scared, beat-down, 15 year old girl, I didn’t need a police officer. I needed a hug,” said Acosta.

After one hour and thirty minutes of testimony, the council closed down public comment, while many people had not yet spoken. However after deliberation the council reopened public comment for another 45 minutes.

Councilor Alan Zelenka struck back by saying that it was not the city who chose to shut CAHOOTS down, but in fact that White Bird chose to refund $1M they say they couldn’t spend. Councilor Yeh, was more responsive to the movement saying that the she was interested in exploring options. Perhaps one of those options may be to split CAHOOTS from White Bird. Even Councilor Clark, who had a combative tone acknowledged their appeared to be a riff between CAHOOTS workers and White Bird management. To which many people in the overflow room made noise in agreement.