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On July 27, 2022, a Springfield home was burglarized and two expensive, very distinctive electric bicycles were stolen. A Eugene Police Street Crimes Unit officer became aware of the burglary and subsequent theft. The SCU officer began investigating leads and was able to identify a person of interest. EPD SCU and Springfield Police detectives collaborated throughout the investigation to recover the E-Bikes, but after months had gone by, the trail seemed to grow cold.  

Undeterred, the EPD SCU officer continued to pull on threads. Those threads bore fruit.  On November 16, 2022, EPD SCU contacted a third party with knowledge of the E-Bike’s whereabouts.  The SCU officer convinced the third party to deliver the E-Bikes to EPD’s Evidence Control Unit.  The E-Bikes were a match and the owner was verified based on the distinctive colors of the bikes. To ensure the E-Bikes were in fact the actual stolen E-Bikes, the SCU officer arranged to meet the owner of the E-Bikes at a local shop where they were purchased. The serial numbers had been scratched off, however the E-Bikes were first generation, blue tooth chipped, and confirmation matching the serial numbers to the bikes was done in short order.  The E-Bike shop owner was nice enough to keep the E-bikes to run diagnostics and give them a quick overhaul for the ecstatic owner.  

SCU works in concert with communities to help solve issues.  The unit focuses on prolific offenders, who are identified through intelligence-based policing, public tips and other sources. They proactively respond across the city to quality of life issues as they arise, using all available resources and partners such as community groups, neighborhood associations and city services. SCU is dedicated to targeting immediate and acute community safety system issues while working toward mission-critical enhancements that need to be addressed through a longer-term and broader community safety initiative. The unit currently consists of a lieutenant, a sergeant and five officers, including one officer with a drug detection K9.

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