Girl Scouts ask Eugene City Council to restore CAHOOTS-style crisis response

Girl Scout Troop 81624 stood during public comment at the Eugene City Council meeting on Feb. 23 and urged councilors to restore a CAHOOTS-style mobile crisis response, telling elected officials the community has been "without community response here in Eugene for over nine months." Speakers asked the council to expand a recently issued Request For Proposal and to fund a replacement team to provide medical and behavioral crisis care in the community.

Eleven-year-old Greta Davis spoke for her troop, naming fellow scouts Hazel, Rayna and Maya as she addressed the council. She opened her remarks: "Hello, my name is Greta and I’m also speaking on behalf of Hazel, Rayna, and Maya. We are all Girl Scouts in Troop 81624. We are here because we see homeless people on the streets, and our troop wants to change that."

Community commenters followed the scouts with specific procurement and funding demands. JoJo Breslin told councilors, "I’m JoJo Breslin. I was going to give some reasonings on why I think we need to expand the RFP that was sent out for a CAHOOTS-like service. I think Greta and her troop expressed that more than I could. So I hope you guys were listening closely to her." Supporter Jacob Trewe added, "My name is Jacob Trewe. I also stand with the amazing Girl Scouts that were here just a moment ago. Your testimony was inspiring and thank you so much."

Meeting testimony laid out three concrete policy asks: expand the scope of the recent RFP, allocate city funding for a "new CAHOOTS," and ensure the replacement service addresses medical needs of people experiencing homelessness. Commenters said a CAHOOTS-style team would reduce escalation by offering early supports, and would relieve police by taking mental health and nonviolent medical calls. Speakers stated that "CAHOOTS medics help homeless people with their injuries. That helps decrease the percentage of deaths," and urged the council that "we would also like to see the city fund the new CAHOOTS."

KEPW 97.3 Whole Community News, which covers reporting "From Kalapuya lands in the Willamette watershed," summarized additional public comments at the Feb. 23 meeting that the loss of street wound care has led to an increase in amputations. The meeting transcript and local coverage provided no numerical data or medical sourcing for that claim, and did not include dates for when prior services ended.

The public record from Feb. 23 makes clear the city has an active procurement document to create a CAHOOTS-like service and that residents, including Girl Scouts, are pressing for an expanded RFP and budgeted funding. The meeting transcript and KEPW coverage did not include an official response from councilors on whether they will alter the RFP or commit funding, leaving those procurement and budget decisions as the next policy questions for the City of Eugene.