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Home My WebLink About07-27-1999 ArticlesI ocal News - The Des Moines Register uup., o.. ......�. tee.., .,....,.... ... Navigation: Headlines : Crime & Courts : Report Murillo to police: See a lawyer before talking 9 sections ■ In deadly force cases, sergeant says he ■ Headlines ■ News Extras trusts Iowa DCI agents, but not their ■ Forums bosses. ■ Columnists ■ Weather By TOM ALEX ■ Duffy Register Staff Writer 07/08/1999 • Other News ■—SSorts A Des Moines police sergeant is recommending that IN Entertainment officers seek an attorney's advice before answering * Marketplaces questions from state agents investigating cases ■ Cars involving the use of deadly force. ■ Employment ■ Real Estate Sgt. David Murillo said he trusts agents with the ■ Classifieds Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, but not their bosses. "It is political connections that got them their jobs," he said. "You don't have to look any further than Ken Arduser and Trooper Hildreth to see how the state can railroad people." After police shot and killed Russell Andrew Stein on June 30, the DCI said it would not investigate unless it could take the lead in the probe. Des Moines police at first refused, but City Manager Eric Anderson later announced DCI could take the lead, and Des Moines police would be involved. Both DCI officials and city leaders said they wanted to ensure DCI was conducting an independent investigation of police shootings. Murillo said he fears city police will be treated like Arduser and Hildreth if state agents take the lead in future probes. Arduser was fired from the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement in 1998 for, among other things, allegedly using a state -issued vehicle for personal matters. I of 2 7/9/99 1:17 PM I.. oval News - The Des Moines Register � i Iowa State Patrol Trooper Troy Hildreth was fired in 1997 after he was accused of beating a drunken -driving suspect. "Both of them eventually got jobs back, but they had to jump through a lot of hoops to do it," Murillo said. He said that had the two been city employees, they might have been suspended but not fired. Arduser said in January he believed he was "sidelined because of politics and personalities." In a letter to Frank Scarcello, president of the Des Moines Police Burial and Protective Association, Murillo said officers should have an attorney present to protect their rights immediately after using deadly force and before they talk to an investigator. Scarcello had not seen the letter and noted that Murillo was speaking only for himself. He declined comment until he had a chance to read the letter. Scarcello said officers involved in incidents of deadly force already have been told they may hire a lawyer, knowing that either the city of Des Moines or the burial association will cover expenses. Another officer who has worked with the DO wonders why the issue of who leads the investigation ever arose. "I've investigated things with the DCI before and the word 'lead' never came up," Sgt. Jerry Viers said. "We both ask questions. It's a give-and-take situation. I don't know how this turned into a dispute." 0 Navigation: Headlines : Crime & Courts : Report Find more news every day in The Des Moines Register. Subscribe now. Copyright ® 1999, The Des Moines Register. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated 2/23/98). 2of2 7/9i99 I:17 PM the Daily Iowan Friday, July 9, 1999 Page 3A Pc ce to be commended, questioned The Special Crimes Action Team of the Iowa City Police Department seems pleased with its progress in the Broadway area. Since its conception in 1998 to deal with increased gang activity, the crimes team officers have made nearly 1,500 arrests. While the police department should be commended for its quick response to gang problems by creating the team, one must wonder if it has brought significant change to Iowa City. Despite restoring peace for the people in the Broadway neighborhood, gang activity and related crimes have not been completely eliminated. Instead, officers recognize that such problems went underground or spread out into other neighborhoods. The crimes team has been questioned by some citizens in the past. The officers often dress in plain clothes and drive unmarked cars to better blend in for surveillance, which has made some residents uneasy. In addition, some see the unit as being created to target minorities. The undercover tactics also prevent citizens from approaching officers and getting to know them. However, as crime spreads out, the crimes team needs the help of Iowa City residents to know where problems occur and where its help is needed. If the team is to ultimately be successful, it must earn the trust of the people it works to protect. Perhaps what is missing from Iowa City is a more comprehensive plan to prevent gang activity. While 1,500 arrests can make a difference in the city's crime rates, it doesn't do anything to address why such behavior starts in the first place. Comaared with other places where the reality of gang activity is something that people must deal with every day, Iowa Cit, .;roblem seems to be fairly small right now. Steps must be taken to keep it that way and not just shift the problem around. Iowa City is a relatively safe community in which crime often seems miles away, in Chicago, Des Moines or anywhere else but here. Yet crime does occur in Iowa City, and while the desire to stop it is there, the risk of falling short is also.. Iowa City's police, schools and other community organizations must look at what can be done to prevent people from turning to gangs and drugs. The responsibility to keep Iowa City safe belongs to the whole community and not just to the crimes team. Kara Heinzig is a D! editorial writer. I fiii€,rtix l<d.. 9IBM I Home Search Front Metro & Iowa Nation & World Viewpoints Sports Arts 1 of 1 7,9/99 12:06 I'M the Daily Iowan Friday, July 9, 1999 Page 3A Pc :ce to be commended, questioned The Special Crimes Action Team of the Iowa City Police Department seems pleased with its progress in the Broadway area. Since its conception in 1998 to deal with increased gang activity, the crimes team officers have made nearly 1,500 arrests. While the police department should be commended for its quick response to gang problems by creating the team, one must wonder if it has brought significant change to Iowa City. Despite restoring peace for the people in the Broadway neighborhood, gang activity and related crimes have not been completely eliminated. Instead, officers recognize that such problems went underground or spread out into other neighborhoods. The crimes team has been questioned by some citizens in the past. The officers often dress in plain clothes and drive unmarked cars to better blend in for surveillance, which has made some residents uneasy. In addition, some see the unit as being created to target minorities. The undercover tactics also prevent citizens from approaching officers and getting to know them. However, as crime spreads out, the crimes team needs the help of Iowa City residents to know where problems occur and where its help is needed. If the team is to ultimately be successful, it must earn the trust of the people it works to protect. Perhaps what is missing from Iowa City is a more comprehensive plan to prevent gang activity. While 1,500 arrests can make a difference in the city's crime rates, it doesn't do anything to address why such behavior starts in the first place. Corrrared with other places where the reality of gang activity is something that people must deal with every day, Iowa Cit, iroblem seems to be fairly small right now. Steps must be taken to keep it that way and not just shift the problem around. Iowa City is a relatively safe community in which crime often seems miles away, in Chicago, Des Moines or anywhere else but here. Yet crime does occur in Iowa City, and while the desire to stop it is there, the risk of falling short is also Iowa City's police, schools and other community organizations must look at what can be done to prevent people from turning to gangs and drugs. The responsibility to keep Iowa City safe belongs to the whole community and not just to the crimes team. Kara Heinzig is a DI editorial writer. ^l �1 li►rth yt71Xk1id:': l Home Search Front Metro & Iowa Nation & World Viewpoints Sports Arts I loft 7%9. 99 12:06 I'M u 0 1L V V _ O - - - - o0 o act_ - lF O7N-E nF - LODL no p /Y. V �Z yb�VaGtF �bFNp3 >`C N N 44 - pFL-1 ODb�m Op.L N��EIn O CF 001 x �mr 0til �o.o i Lao L s N C Y m d cao i e Y 7 E m" N 6 L > a 1 " o co a t a r c E � L EL m t m E -vF o$un°io i.V `oL9°e-nadp v`^ 3n ❑ m- �_C 1� ndc o.cLn �>L9 L .. � •^% � O c 6 r: > L O �' � 3 6° in 6 A.m-_ @O AC p- p 6 E, L G_ _n O ONCN-OL U L__- L N G .>. L C$ N Cli OLC y0._ 3 C L d� �. D` L O N L b,n n � •-° � 30= __ - ro`o m_.. °�SE�=ter_ s=aan ..o=r: _FEn°;, v�'o`3 10t 57 _ 9 O`rtt Cam. 'C � 4 C✓.� i L ti 83 Y D cu U O Q. -cc'ag11 fill dABu30 u 0P Ec - 11h �gLEo n9 u E?s �m]"Eu>` H�`.I 1v,A A$ov c=d u�F-ono°u-'uELP gAFS ¢°M_ a`i _^.. a`cc�� ..°fi A Mg .m,0' _ L u 07 nc _cow �& ur in= 3,°, m iELun�Tc`,9su $ i no3v`o383 nn>c coEu ya.o e'" L9_ Lu'e ]]9AC N] LA n.�L 7L.N-L LEn-°aoi. �upcy�3v°i_-G^n `O�y nL�Bi�c�� vC�ocop O'>:3��s3 n EE'o Ts o$c° ay n°3'°-cv°_co nun 3 i]ueL ]'-n: En dOON3od A°3 nT f,mNn ��a.pZnti F'—uni o $os'v E9c oneb Eu E�oS m_ eor> Vd.. a._E i Cemg 'o'-sc .§-. n° ya9 „EL Ay "vnA-Eo uo o- Eq ?dgno ooZ� coLo is`rvaog B�auV _ ooyy L?o p o 3t F.3 rFcB,°e noF'dEc« u°in�auoa_n'cFa `nF3 °e CES�'„ L...rt O_9u $mC LiNla°.N tuiy IT is _ Mof n HAD b S v] H. _ ct q� sE� _ _ yR 5 L EE - ' gy �`o_S�um Au'd `oz�u- vE- _-_vg3Z�.E3= m2?Z'Occocu -_uy �L csE� F =10111_ ELUDE -SEE �T.Em, Hnu°ao$i-1c-$uep 0 N W 0 Opinion Iowa City Press -Citizen Letters Pay attention to real crimes I am beginning to think that I am the only person in this town who remembers the term "ille- gal search and seizure." That is probably beeause it is a thing of the past. Please allow me to explain. The other night as I was dri- ving home (at the speed limit) I fell victim to the bored, over- anxious Iowa City police department, as did many others. They had set up some kind of a "sting" operation to try and catch drunk drivers and the "hippie" kids with their carloads of drugs along Riverside Drive. As I first pulled into the parking lot, I realized that there had to be at least 20 cops there. One, who was busy being paid to stand there and act tough, ignored my incessant question- ing as to what was going on and told me to pull over to the side and wait for an officer to assist me. It was then that the officer, I will call him "Barney" for the sake of anonymity, waddled over. You could just tell that he was playing the theme for Cops over and over in his head. He leaned down towards my car, Chips style, and asked me if I had anything to drink. Well, of course I said no. But, I don't think that Barney believed me. Because then he made the implication that I was on drugs. So I emptied out the contents of my purse. Ooh ... cell phone that must mean I sell crack. Uh-oh Tylenol, I was proba- bly high on it. I think Barney was really disappointed when he didn't find anything. As he called in a check on my license I looked around at the other innocent Iowa City motorists randomly being harassed. I saw three teen-agers with their hands up, some emp- tying out their pockets ... you know those hippies. Well, Barney wasn't about to let me go without giving me a ticket for something. So he con- ducted a safety check on my car. Much to his dismay, nothing was wrong. Barney decided that he had to let me go. Aren't you supposed to be pulled over for doing something wrong? It seems like the police of Iowa City need something else to do besides harass the very people that they are supposed to protect. Page 13A Tuesday, July 20, 1999 As I drove away through the mess of flashing cherries, I felt very safe knowing that every cop was preoccupied with the real bad guys, who refuse to fix their blinkers, or wear their seat - belts, rather than worrying about crime or anything. Kelly C. Carney Iowa City L fIV J11LL YY 11VV 1\r V. J-✓VW vv..LL V.W u.� vim.. � ��..-- ��.. .. „.. .. � - � ..., .O t L Web posted Tuesday, February 16, 1999 House committee OKs ban on unmarked police cars OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A bill to ban the use of unmarked police cars to enforce traffic laws passed a House committee Monday over the objections of law enforcement officials who said it would kill existing efforts. The measure's author, Rep. Richard Phillips, R-Warr Acres, told the House Public Safety Committee he introduced House Bill 1212 in December following reports that police impersonators were stopping and harassing his constituents. But Oklahoma County authorities, including District Attorney Bob Macy, said the bill will destroy the effectiveness of ongoing programs that rely on unmarked vehicles. "It will completely do away with our R.A.A.I.D. program," said Oklahoma City police Maj. David Shupe. The program targets aggressive and inconsiderate drivers and has been credited with reducing collisions and alcohol -related injuries. "We've realized some very significant decreases in traffic accidents," Shupe said. Macy said the bill also threatens the future of the Central Oklahoma Metro Interdiction Team program, which uses unmarked cars in a variety of investigations. "We've seized a lot of drugs. We've seized a lot of money," Macy said. "In my opinion these are two of the most effective hftp://www.news-star.com/stories/021699/com—banears.shtrnl 7/23/99 programs I have seen in 40 years of law enforcement." The bill now goes to the full House. "We'll work through the city's lobbyists and work against the bill," Shupe said. "It's a shame to kil it because somewhere out there a roan impersonated a police officer," said Mice Jahn, chief of the Midwest City Police Department. Macy said there were a couple of reports last year of a man using a flashing green light in his car to pull over motorists on various city streets. The man was eventually arrested and is in custody, he said. Ironically, a police officer in an unmarked C.O.M.I.T. car made the arrest, Shupe said. Authorities told the committee that motorists who are pursued by unmarked police units do not have to stop on a secluded or darkened roadside and officers are instructed to follow them to lighted areas. "They can go home," Macy said. Phillips said his bill is not an attack on the law enforcement Programs - "This does not have anything to do with that," he said. Lawmakers said they are concerned about public confusion over how to identify an authorized unmarked police unit from one county to the next and how to respond when one aPPeam "I don't think the problems have been resolved," Phillips said. He said women have been abducted, raped and even killed in other states by police impersonators in unmarked cars. "It's a matter of time -- it's going to happen in Oklahoma," Phillips said. Eater a search keyword or string. Click here for help on search'. bttp://www.news-star.corri/stories/021699/com—baw,ars.shtml 7/23/99