HomeMy WebLinkAboutPreliminary Plan to Restructure the Police
RESTRUCTURING THE IOWA
CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT:
A Preliminary Plan to
Accelerate Community Policing
DECEMBER 2020
1
Introduction
The City Manager’s Office is pleased to present this Preliminary Plan to the City Council and Iowa
City community. The plan aims to help inform the reader on past and current operations of the
Department, as well begin to chart a path forward to a more robust community policing model.
Community Policing is a term that may have different meaning to individual community members.
The City has described Community Policing as a philosophy that seeks to address the root causes
of crime and build confidence in police through problem-solving strategies and police/community
partnerships. It recognizes that law enforcement cannot solve complex societal problems alone and
that creative solutions and partnerships are needed to ensure the best outcome for all residents.
The Iowa City Police Department is committed to this philosophy and fully supports a wide-range of
solutions that will ensure that residents in need of assistance receive safe and effective short and
long-term outcomes. These outcomes may or may not require the involvement of law enforcement.
The Iowa City Police Department is eager to engage with a collaborative spirit and offer the best
assistance we can provide toward this important objective.
This preliminary report builds on a history of City Council commitments to fair and impartial policing
and the equitable treatment of all residents in our community. Examples of such past commitments
include:
• 2012 formation of the Ad-Hoc Diversity Committee and subsequent adoption of recommendations
• 2012 Creation of the Equity Director position in City government
• 2014 commencement of an annual Equity Report
• February 2015 adoption of an Equity Action Plan
• December 2016 Resolution Rejecting Acts of intimidation and Supporting a Diverse and Safe Community
• January 2017 Resolution Reaffirming the Public Safety Function of Local Law Enforcement
• May 2017 Resolution Reaffirming the City of Iowa City Law Enforcement Non-Discrimination Policy
• June 2020 Resolution addressing the Black Lives Matter Movement and Systemic Racism
In addition to these notable actions above, City Council has expressed values and provided
direction to staff through numerous proclamations, strategic plan commitments, Board and
Commission appointments, and programming efforts such as the Social Justice and Racial Equity
grant program. It is important for the City Council to be aware of this history and understand that
there will always be more work to be done. Frequently renewed and intentional commitments will
be needed to continue down a path toward meaningful progress. This Preliminary Plan serves as
another significant step forward, but will not solely achieve the goal of eliminating systemic racism
in our community. Only sustained community effort, continued education, and a united commitment
to significant change will enable us to achieve that objective.
The aforementioned June 2020 resolution addressing Black Lives Matter and systemic racism
(Appendix I) contained the following commitment:
“By December 15, 2020, develop a preliminary plan to restructure the Iowa City Police
Department (ICPD) towards community policing, including, but not limited to, reduction of the
2
Introduction (continued)
public’s reliance on police in nonviolent situations through use of unarmed professionals, and
consideration of community policing initiatives in other cities, including, but not limited to,
Minneapolis, MN, Camden, NJ, Los Angeles, CA and San Francisco, CA.”
Following this commitment, the City Council held six listening posts and solicited online input
from the community. A memo summarizing that public input process was prepared by the City
Manager’s Office and distributed publicly in October 2020 (Appendix II).
While this preliminary plan was influenced by public input received, it deserves an opportunity
to be vetted by the larger community before final changes are made and adoption is
considered. With that in mind, the City Council is encouraged to delay adoption for several
months and allow the community to offer feedback. Specifically, the City Council should
consider requesting feedback from the Community Police Review Board and Human Rights
Commission, in addition to stakeholder groups and the general public. The preliminary plan
has been made available on the City’s website along with a public feedback mechanism.
The City Manager’s Office would like to thank the City Council for your ongoing leadership and
allowing us to present you with this document. We look forward to its public review and the
opportunity to implement its final recommendations.
Geoff Fruin
City Manager
3
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT 5
1.1 IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT 5
1.2 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART + PERMANENT POSITION DESCRIPTIONS 5
1.3 FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET OVERVIEW 9
STATISTICAL OVERVIEW 15
2.1 PERSONNEL AND BUDGET 15
2.2 CALLS FOR SERVICE 16
2.3 CRIME STATISTICS 18
2.4 USE OF FORCE 21
2.5 COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW BOARD COMPLAINTS 22
RECENT COMMUNITY POLICING INITIATIVES 27
3.1 COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND CRIME PREVENTION 27
3.2 DIVERSION 32
3.3 SUPPORTIVE SERVICES 34
3.4 CONNECTIONS WITH TARGETED POPULATIONS 40
RESTRUCTURING THE IOWA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT 43
OUTCOME ORIENTED: A CONTINUUM OF RESPONSES TO CRISIS CALLS 43
4.1 PREVENT (AVOIDING CALLS FOR SERVICE) 44
4.2 DIVERT (RESPONDING WITHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT) 47
4.3 CO-RESPOND (RESPONDING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS SECONDARY) 51
4.4 STABILIZE AND CONNECT (LAW ENFORCEMENT AS PRIMARY) 53
OUTCOME ORIENTED: A COMMITMENT TO UNBIASED POLICING 57
4.5 DEPARTMENT TRAINING 57
4.6 CITY CODE AND DEPARTMENTAL POLICY CHANGES 60
4.7 RENEWED SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW BOARD AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION 64
4.8 CITY ADVOCACY 66
OUTCOME ORIENTED: POLICING FORWARD 71
4.9 EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT, WELLNESS, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE 71
4.10 PUBLIC DATA AND COMMUNICATIONS 75
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FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS: 79
5.1 “DEFUND” MODEL 79
5.2 INCREASED PROPERTY TAX SUPPORT 80
5.3 INCREASED UTILITY TAX SUPPORT 80
5.4 INTRODUCTION OF A LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX (LOST) 80
5.5 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING FY 2022 BUDGET 81
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS 82
6.1 REVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS 82
6.2 NEXT STEPS 86
APPENDIX I 87
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 20-159: BLACK LIVES MATTER AND SYSTEMIC RACISM 87
APPENDIX II 90
CITY MANAGER MEMO: COMMUNITY POLICING PUBLIC INPUT SUMMARY 90
APPENDIX III 141
HISTORY OF THE IOWA CITY COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW BOARD (OCTOBER 2020) 141
APPENDIX IV 228
IOWA CITY’S 2021 STATE OF IOWA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES 228
APPENDIX V 234
CASE STUDIES ON COMMUNITY POLICING 234
A. MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 234
B. CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY 237
C. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 239
D. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 241
E. EUGENE, OREGON 244
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Iowa City Police Department:
1.1 Iowa City Police Department Mission Statement
In March 2019, the Iowa City Police Department adopted a revised mission statement that
explicitly focuses on community partnership, trust building and victim-centered policing. The
following mission statement continues to guide all department activities:
To work in partnership with the community, enhance trust, protect with
courage and compassion, and empower victims of crime through
excellence in service.
1.2 Organizational Chart + Permanent Position Descriptions
The Iowa City Police Department currently has budget authority for 109.26 permanent positions.
Of those 109.26 positions, 84 (or 76.8%) are sworn police officers (including supervisory staff).
The Department is currently authorized for 25.26 civilian positions. Additionally, the Department
benefits greatly from temporary staff, such as school crossing guards, and numerous volunteer
positions.
The department is led by a Chief of Police, who reports directly to the City Manager. The Chief is
supported by two Captains and an Administrative Coordinator. One Captain focuses on Field
Operations, which generally includes traditional patrol and investigation activities. The second
Captain focuses on Support Services, which includes training and accreditation, planning and
research, and animal services.
An organization chart is provided on the following page to illustrate the full hierarchy of positions
and breadth of operations of the Department. Brief position narratives are subsequently noted to
offer general details on roles and responsibilities.
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Iowa City Police Department Organization Chart
Chief of Police
Field Operations
Division Captain
Patrol Section Investigations
Section
Training &
Accreditation
(1) - Sergeant
Day Watch
(1) - Lieutenant
(2) - Sergeants
(16) - Patrol Officers
Investigations
(1) -Lieutenant
(2) - Sergeant Community Outreach
(1) –Neighborhood
Response
(1)- Community Relations
(2) Downtown Liaison
(4) - Records Tech.
(1) – Part time
Support Services
Division Captain
(1) -Community
Outreach Assistant (1)- Support
Services Assistant
Evening Watch
(1) - Lieutenant
(2) - Sergeants
(16) - Patrol Officers
Late Night Watch
(1) - Lieutenant
(2) - Sergeants
(16) - Patrol Officers
(2) – Community
Service Officers
(9) - Investigators
(4) - SCAT
Investigators
(1) JCDTF
(5) – Station
Masters
(3) - PT Front Desk
Assistants
Planning & Research
(1)– Sergeant
(1)-Crime Analyst
Evidence
(1) - Custodian
(1) – Community
Service Officer
(16) - School Crossing
Guards
Animal Services
(1) - Supervisor
(2) - Service Officer
(2) - Care Tech.
(1) - Center Asst.
(4) - PT Kennel Asst.
(1) - Vol. Coordinator
(1) - Systems Analyst
(1) - Administrative Coordinator
(6) Chaplains
(100) - Care
Assistants
Command Sworn Civilian
Volunteers
(1)- Victim
Services
Coordinator
7
CHIEF OF POLICE: The Chief of Police is the departmental authority on all matters of policy,
operations, and personnel. The Chief is responsible for the planning, directing, coordinating,
controlling, and staffing of all activities of the Department. The position ensures efficient operation
and enforcement of rules and regulations within the Department. The Police Chief leads
community relation efforts and coordinates with City and community leaders, community
organizations, and other law enforcement agencies to successfully accomplish the mission of the
Department.
DIVISION CAPTAIN : The Division Captain reports directly to the Chief of Police and provides
administrative and executive level assistance. The Division Captain issues directives as may be
necessary to promote the effective operation of the Department, and is empowered to act with full
authority and responsibility over all personnel within the division.
LIEUTENANT: Designated by the Chief of Police, the Lieutenant is responsible for the supervision
and command of the activities of a uniformed patrol watch or other specialized police section.
SERGEANT: The Sergeant provides direction to Police Officers assigned to their command,
subject at all times to the orders of their Lieutenant or other superior officer.
TRAINING & ACCREDITATION SERGEANT: The Sergeant is assigned to maintain Commission
on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA) compliance, policy review, and departmental
training. The position directly supervises the Station Master, Evidence and Chaplain functions.
PLANNING & RESEARCH SERGEANT: The Sergeant is assigned to maintain and oversee
records compliance, data distribution and analyzation, public information requests, media
relations, alcohol/taxi license reviews, and community outreach efforts. Directly supervises
Community Outreach personnel, Records, and the Crime Analyst.
PATROL OFFICERS: Sworn members of the Police Department who are charged with traditional
law enforcement responsibilities. Prior to assuming sworn status, Officers take an oath of office
swearing to uphold the Constitution and laws of the State of Iowa and City of Iowa City.
INVESTIGATORS: Sworn members of the Police Department assigned to the Investigations
Section to follow up and investigate sexual assault, domestic assault, deaths, juvenile crime,
computer/cybercrime, financial crime, and other similar criminal activity.
STREET CRIMES ACTION TEAM (SCAT): Sworn members of the Police Department assigned
to the Investigations Section to proactively investigate and respond to violent crime including
crimes involving guns and narcotics.
JOHNSON COUNTY DRUG TASK FORCE: Sworn member of the Police Department assigned
to the county joint task force on serious narcotics investigations.
DOWNTOWN LIAISON: Sworn members of the Police Department assigned to Community
Outreach who fosters positive relationships with Downtown businesses and patrons through
public education, proactive patrols, and homeless outreach.
NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE OFFICER: Sworn member of the Police Department assigned
to Community Outreach who works closely with Neighborhood Outreach, Housing and Inspection
Services, landlords, tenants, and neighborhood associations to address specific issues within
neighborhoods.
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CRIME ANALYST: Sworn member of the Police Department assigned to Support Services tasked
with leveraging data to assist department administration with making data-driven operational
decisions and directives.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER: Sworn member of the Police Department assigned to
Community Outreach who works with the Community Outreach Assistant to foster positive
relationships in the community through programming, public education, and social media
platforms.
VICTIM SERVICES COORDINATOR: Non-sworn (civilian) member of the Police Department
assigned to assist victims of crime in navigating the criminal justice system and connecting with
support services in the community.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS: Non-sworn (civilian) members of the Police Department
who are assigned various duties within the community and Police Department.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH ASSISTANT: Non-sworn (civilian) member of the Police Department
assigned to Community Outreach to foster positive relationships in the community through
programming, public education, and social media platforms.
STATION MASTERS: Non-sworn (civilian) members of the Police Department who are assigned
to the front desk of the Police Department.
PART-TIME FRONT DESK ASSISTANTS: Non-sworn (civilian) members of the Police
Department who supplement Station Master duties and provide coverage in their absence.
RECORD TECHNICIANS: Non-sworn (civilian) members of the Police Department who are
assigned to the Records Section of the Police Department.
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR: Non-sworn (civilian) member of the Police Department who
is assigned to provide payroll, budget, human resource and other administrative assistance for
the Department.
SYSTEMS ANALYST: Non-sworn (civilian member) of the Police Department who is assigned to
Support Services and generally coordinates technology efforts.
EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN: Non-sworn (civilian) member of the Police Department assigned to
manage evidence and property.
SUPPORT SERVICES ASSISTANT: Non-sworn (civilian) member of the Police Department
assigned to assist the Evidence Technician and Evidence Community Service Officer.
ANIMAL SER VICES SUPERVISOR: Non-sworn (civilian) member of the Police Department
assigned to Animal Services, responsible for the management of the Iowa City Animal Care and
Adoption Center and its employees.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS: Non-sworn (civilian) members of the Police Department who
are assigned to the Animal Services Unit of the Police Department. Patrols and enforces the City
and State codes for animals, catches and impounds strays, issues written citations. Educates the
public regarding animal-related issues. Works with other Animal Services personnel to maintain
shelter operations, including animal care, administrative processes, and customer services
duties.
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ANIMAL CARE TECHS: Non-sworn (civilian) members of the Police Department assigned to the
Animal Services Unit who maintain a safe and sanitary facility for center animals and the public.
Provides and is responsible for the humane care of all center animals and their housing areas.
Assures industry best practice standards for all animals’ nutritional, housing, emotional, and
medical needs.
ANIMAL CENTER ASSISTANTS: Non-sworn (civilian) members of the Police Department
assigned to the Animal Services Unit who serve as a front office public relations receptionist,
cashier, dispatcher, and adoption coordinator. Impounds animals and assist with animal care and
cleaning of the entire facility.
1.3 Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Overview
Based on the Fiscal Year 2021 revised budget, the Police Department is 87.85% funded by
property tax support. The remaining revenue sources are broken out in the chart below:
Police Department employee wages and benefits expenses account for 86.02% ($13,555,633) of
total department expenditures, with the bulk of this budget funding sworn officers (84.00 FTE).
Additionally, the FY2021 amended police budget includes funding for 25.26 civilian police
employees.
Federal,
$(1,311,171)
Fees & Charges
for Services,
$(208,510)
Other,
$(140,150)
Sales
Proceeds,
$(27,800)State & Local,
$(304,355)
Property Tax,
$(18,288,061)
Hotel/Motel
Tax,
$(538,170)
Other,
$2,530,156
Total Police Department Revenue (FY2021 Amended)
10
A summary of personnel expenses by division and breakdown of supplies and services
expenses are included in the division sections below.
Expenditure Budget by Division
In the historical expenditure summaries below, both the FY 2020 Amended Budget and FY 2020
Actual Expenditures are shown to provide context for some 2020 budget irregularities due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The Police Administration division is supported by 2.00 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employees
which includes the Police Chief and an Administrative Coordinator.
Sworn Officer Employee
Expenses, $11,137,170
Civilian Police Employee
Expenses, $2,418,463
Supplies, Services,
Capital Outlay,
$2,202,272
Total Police Department Expense Budget (FY2021 Amended)
Police Administration, $660,558
Support Services &
Activities, $2,641,497
Animal Services,
$1,002,840
Field Operations,
$11,362,298
ICPD Expenditures by Division (FY2021 Amended)
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Police administration services expenditures increased in Fiscal Year 2021 primarily due to the
addition of $50,000 for a facility space needs study.
The Support Services division includes records retention and dissemination, customer service,
property and evidence management, training and accreditation efforts, community outreach, and
animal services.
The Police Department’s Support Services division is supported by 29.26 FTE, including Animal
Services employees (6.26 FTE), Community Service Officers (8.00 FTE), a Community Outreach
Assistant (1.00 FTE), a Computer Systems Analyst (1.00 FTE), Records Technicians (4.00 FTE),
and sworn officers (7.00 FTE).
$319,182 $297,977
$8,282
$330,807
$260,918
$8,565
$324,921
$276,611
$3,420
$342,157
$303,652
$6,749
$-
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
$400,000
Personnel Services Supplies
Police Administration Expenses: 3-Year Historical Comparison
2019 Actual 2020 Amended 2020 Actual 2021 Amended
$2,446,592
$377,143
$98,822 $-
$2,794,342
$612,367
$136,977 $17,500
$2,624,987
$649,313
$82,167 $20,091
$2,986,355
$421,139
$117,826 $5,000 $-
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
$3,000,000
$3,500,000
Personnel Services Supplies Capital Outlay
Police Support Services Expenses: 3-Year Historical Comparison
2019 Actual 2020 Amended 2020 Actual 2021 Amended
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The services expenditure increase in FY 2020 was primarily due to $250,000 that was allocated
for deer population management.
Improving community relations and advancing equity has been a major focus of this division, with
recent efforts including the closing of the southeast substation, completion of two grants
($750,000) obtained to empower victims of crime, reduce chronic homelessness, and reduce
gender bias in investigations, and a conscious effort to increase foot patrol and build relationships
through non-enforcement interactions within the community.
Additionally, in calendar year 2019, the ICPD has documented participation in 394 community
outreach events, 149 community presentations, 3 public education efforts on rights, and 119
community partnership events.
The Field Operations division includes patrol and investigations. Patrol is the largest activity in
the department and, in addition to traditional patrol units, includes canine units, bicycle officers,
community service officers, a crisis negotiation team, a special response team and crime scene
technicians. The Investigations unit manages criminal investigations and works with the Johnson
County Drug Task Force, Domestic Abuse Response Team, and a Street Crimes unit.
The Police Department’s Field Operations division is supported by 78.00 FTE, which includes 1
captain, 4 lieutenants, 8 sergeants, 63 officers, 2 Community Service Officers (CSOs), and 1
civilian Victim Services Specialist.
Station Masters,
$457,752
Crime Prevention + Community
Relations, $610,580
Crossing Guards,
$91,667
Records &
Identification,
$714,434 Citizen's Police Academy, $1,250
Other: Property/Evidence,
Training/Accreditation,
Tech, $765,814
Animal Services,
$990,577
Support Services FY 2021 Amended Expenditure Budget by Activity
13
Activity expenditures in the Field Operations division include patrol, investigations, criminal
forfeitures, contracted patrol, and police grants (Johnson County Task Force, Stop Violence, and
International Association of Chiefs of Police):
$9,394,736
$748,018
$221,419 $246,609
$9,788,650
$621,421 $184,241 $640,879
$9,525,587
$625,631
$167,677 $202,665
$10,227,121
$629,640 $184,257 $539,684
$-
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
Personnel Services Supplies Capital Outlay
Field Operations Expenses: 3-Year Historical Comparison
2019 Actual 2020 Revised 2020 Actual 2021 Revised
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Recently, Field Operations has focused on increasing training and community relations among
the largest division of Police Department employees. Efforts include beginning Threat
Assessment training to increase community safety and reduce arrests, completing Crisis
Intervention Training (CIT) and refresher training for all officers, and increasing patrol presence
at community events and in neighborhoods for non-enforcement purposes.
Additionally, the unit was successful in working with community groups to enact a City Ordinance
on Hate Crimes and implementing internal processes to track and fully investigate such activities
(Ord. 17-4692).
Patrol, $9,622,970
Criminal Investigation,
$1,371,369
Contracted Patrol,
$76,088
Police Forfeiture,
$50,000
Police Grants,
$358,521
Field Operations FY21 Amended Expenditure Budget by
Activity
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Statistical Overview:
2.1 Personnel and Budget
The table below outlines the change in authorized personnel from 2010 (FY 2011) to 2020 (FY
2021) and uses annual United States Census Bureau estimates to calculate the number of sworn
officers per 1,000 population. The table also shows the growth in the Police Department budget
relative to the City’s General Fund budget.
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Total Police
Employees
104 103 103 105 105 105 105* 105 107 107 109.26*
Sworn
Positions
81 80* 80 82* 82 82 82 82 84* 84* 84
Sworn
Positions
per 1,000
Population
1.19 1.16 1.14 1.15 1.13 1.12 1.10 1.08 1.11 1.12* --
Total
Department
Budget
(millions)
11.043 11.342 12.350 12.692 13.217 13.016 13.457 13.827 14.847 15.319 15.758
Department
Budget as a
Percentage
of City
General
Fund
21.68% 21.39% 25.65% 24.04% 24.42% 24.02% 24.29% 23.88% 24.59% 24.49% 24.78%
The United States Department of Justice collects and reports data on the number of full-time law
enforcement officers. 2019 data indicates that the average number of officers per 1,000
inhabitants in the United States is 2.3 (Midwest Region is 2.2). For cities with a population
between 50,000-99,999 the average is 1.6 (Midwest Region is 1.5). The table above illustrates
that the Iowa City Police Department has been consistently operating below these national
averages over the past decade. For Iowa City to equal the Midwest Region figure of 1.5 sworn
2011 One sworn patrol position was eliminated from the budget
2013 Two community policing specialty positions were added (downtown liaison officer and neighborhood response officer).
2016 One Community Outreach Assistant was added and one civilian Records Division position was eliminated,
2018 One sergeant position was added in Investigations. A second community policing specialty downtown liaison /
neighborhood response officer was added.
2019 An 85th position was temporarily authorized to support a grant funded position. Overall budget authority remained at 84.
Due to the 85th temporary position, the federally determined officer per 1,000 inhabitants data was 1.13.
2020 One civilian Victim Services Coordinator position was added. 1.26 civilian Animal Care Assistant positions were added.
No Census population estimate is available for 2020.
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positions per 1,000 inhabitants (cities with a population between 50,000-99,999), the department
would need 113 sworn positions, or an increase of 29 positions.
In looking at other larger Iowa cities, Iowa City tends to have significantly fewer officers per 1,000
inhabitants. The four Iowa cities with higher populations relative to Iowa City have between 1.52
– 1.66 sworn positions per 1,000 inhabitants (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Sioux
City).
In comparing 13 Big Ten college communities, Iowa City ranks toward the lower end with only
East Lansing, Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and West Lafayette, Indiana having fewer sworn
officers per 1,000 inhabitants. All other Big Ten communities have a ratio that is equal to or greater
than Iowa City. The overall average of all Big Ten communities, excluding Iowa City, is 1.48 sworn
positions per 1,000 inhabitants. College Park, Maryland is excluded from this analysis as it relies
on a regional police agency to serve its community.
With relatively little growth in overall positions, the Department’s budget figures have grown at an
expected rate comparable to other city operations. This is reflected in the Department’s budget
as a percentage of the overall General Fund. Since 2012 the Department’s budget has
consistently ranged from 23.88% of the General Fund to 25.65%.
With comparatively larger staff numbers due to the around-the-clock nature of their service, it is
expected that budget growth will naturally occur. In the period noted above the average annual
growth in the Police Department budget was a modest 3.6%. Much of this is attributable to
personnel expenses such as bargained wages, health insurance premiums, and mandatory state
pension contributions. Other non-personnel items such as fuel, information technology, and
similar line items also generally experience incremental growth or inflation from year-to-year.
Occasionally, one-time expenses can influence annual budget numbers. Examples of this may
include a group of new vehicle purchases, a consultant study or deer management activities (i.e.
private sharpshooting).
2.2 Calls for Service
Between 2015 and 2019, the ICPD
handled an average of 68,513 calls
for service each year. This does not
include calls that were handled by
dispatchers or cancelled by the
caller before an officer could be
dispatched, as is shown in the
Annual Report.
2019 saw a +7.3% increase in calls for service over the previous 4-year average, with 72,431
calls for service handled in 2019. That equates to approximately, 6,036 calls for service per month
or 201 calls for service per day.
On average, just over half (54.4%) were in response to a public request, such as a call to dispatch
or an individual waving down an officer in the street. Just under half (45.6%) were officer initiated,
such as when an officer observes a criminal violation, traffic violation, or other public safety issue.
67,350 68,697 67,584 66,505
72,431
60,000
65,000
70,000
75,000
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
ICPD Total Calls for Service
17
Out of all Calls for Service, 35% fell in the “Administration/Public Assistance/Community Policing”
category. Examples include alcohol/tobacco compliance, attending community engagement
events, residence and business checks, and vehicle unlocks.
“Traffic and Motor Vehicle Collisions” accounted for 25% of all Calls for Service, and
“Alarm/Suspicious” (i.e. alarm notifications, attempt to locate, 911 hang-ups, etc.) for 15%.
Note: The number of calls does not necessarily correlate to a percentage of officers’ time. For example,
one traffic stop may take 2-3 minutes, while one domestic abuse call could take three hours or more.
The most common outcome of Calls for Service
is No Action (47%). This means the call was
completed, but no official enforcement was
conducted. An example of this would be a call for
service about unsafe bicycling in the pedestrian
mall, but the responding officer does not locate
any bicyclists, thus no action can be taken.
• 21% of all calls for service resulted in
enforcement, which includes actions
such as warnings, parking tickets, and
vehicle tows.
• 11% of all Calls for Service resulted in
documentation, such as incident reports.
• 10% of all Calls for Service fall into the
Officer Required category, which
includes citations and arrests.
54.40%45.60%CALLS FOR SERVICE BY ORIGIN…Public Request
Officer Initiated
Calls For Service Disposition
(2015-2019)
DOCUMENTATION
ENFORCEMENT
MEDICAL
NO ACTION
OFFICER REQ
OTHER NON-CRIMINAL
REFERED
UNKNOWN
0 50,000 100,000 150,000
*ADMIN/PUBLIC ASSIST/COMMUNITY POLICING
*TRAFFIC & MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISIONS
*ALARM/SUSPICIOUS
*NUISANCE
*MEDICAL/MENTAL HEALTH
*CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS & PROPERTY CRIMES
Calls For Service by Type (2015 -2019)
Officer Initiated Public Request
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2.3 Crime Statistics
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reporting guidelines and requirements provide definitions
for Group A offenses and Group B offenses. In general, Group A crimes are considered more
serious.
Group A Offenses: The table below shows number of incidents and is sorted from most to least,
by the total number of incidents occurring over the 5-year period:
GROUP A CRIME INCIDENTS 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
% Change of
2019 total over
previous 4 yr.
avg.
Larceny/Theft Offenses 1,519 1,221 1,436 1,130 1,081 -19%
Assault Offenses (Aggravated,
Simple, Intimidation) 729 800 786 771 889 +15%
Fraud Offenses 608 598 571 528 583 +1%
Drug/Narcotic and Drug
Equipment Violations 545 416 518 654 663 +24%
Destruction/Damage/Vandalism 488 628 516 386 424 -16%
Burglary/Breaking & Entering 398 299 338 299 367 +10%
Motor Vehicle Theft 83 95 87 114 81 -15%
Sex Offenses 87 88 64 100 92 +9%
Weapons Law Violation 20 24 49 35 63 +97%
Robbery 34 46 56 32 32 -24%
Embezzlement 20 17 21 13 10 -44%
Kidnapping/Abduction 5 7 9 13 23 +171%
Stolen Property Offenses 7 11 11 12 11 +7%
Extortion/Blackmail 1 6 7 7 7 +33%
Pornography/Obscene Material 3 4 7 5 10 +111%
Prostitution Offenses 1 13 2 3 7 +47%
Arson 3 1 5 2 3 +9%
Homicide Offenses 0 0 4 0 1 0%
Bribery 0 1 0 0 0 -100%
As the table depicts, there can be quite a bit of variability in some categories. The area of greatest
concern from the Iowa City Police Department’s standpoint is the sharp rise in weapons law
violations that took place in 2019. Unfortunately, this sharp rise has continued in 2020. As of
December 6, 2020, Iowa City has experienced 56 shots fired incidents resulting 301 rounds fired
and 16 individuals shot. This compares to just 15 such incidents in 2019 that resulted in 56 rounds
fired and 5 individuals shot. This is a very concerning trend that presents a significant public safety
challenge for Iowa City and has required significant labor resources from patrol and investigations.
19
Group B offenses are generally less serious crimes and tracked only by arrest rather than
incident:
GROUP B CRIME ARRESTS 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
% Change of 2019
total over
previous 4-year
avg.
OWI, DUI, or Operating w/
Controlled Substance Present 601 691 588 602 590 -5%
Public Intoxication 801 762 539 435 465 -27%
Driving License + Registration
Violations 486 489 437 418 534 +17%
Under 21 in a bar after 10pm 296 298 268 305 791 +171%
Liquor Law Violations (Unlawful
drinking locations, open
container, PAULAs, providing
alcohol to a minor, etc.)
359 364 427 356 208 -45%
Interference (includes
interference causing/intending
injury)
226 261 184 228 248 +10%
No Contact, Abuse, Stalking
Protective Order Violations 132 120 153 137 152 +12%
Disorderly Conduct 156 171 121 121 119 -16%
Criminal Trespass and Trespass
Injury/Damage 166 124 132 105 108 -18%
Use of Another’s ID or Providing
False Identification Info 110 75 54 71 93 +20%
Possess. Suspended, fake, or
altered ID 66 82 71 62 91 +30%
Disorderly House 105 90 47 62 46 -39%
Harassment (2nd Degree, 3rd
Degree, of Public Official) 44 27 38 45 49 +27%
Urinate in Public 72 49 21 21 38 -7%
Neglect / Endangerment of a
minor 22 26 20 35 45 +75%
Group B offenses, which average less than 20 arrests per year are not shown (for example: smoking in
prohibited areas, juvenile curfew violations, littering/illegal dumping, animal neglect, etc.).
Much of the Group B volume reflects alcohol-related violations. For many years the community
has called for proactive policing on alcohol issues, particularly in the downtown area. Proactively
policing alcohol issues can prevent more serious incidents such as fatal traffic accidents, sexual
assaults, domestic assaults and property damage. OWI numbers have stayed fairly constant in
recent years while public intoxication and liquor law violations have decreased. 2019 saw a big
spike in underage bar violations. It is expected that 2020 alcohol-related numbers will show
considerable drops due to reduced proactive policing measures as a result of COVID-19.
The FBI collects and reports on crime data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.
In 2019, 246 of the 257 law enforcement agencies in Iowa participated in this program, including
20
the Iowa City Police Department. It is important to note that data included in the FBI UCR statistics
represent reported crime and is not an exhaustive report of all crime that occurs.
The UCR violent crime statistics include offenses of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter,
rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes involve force or threat of force. Based on
the 25-year period between 1995 and 2019, Iowa City began maintaining a violent crime rate
consistently lower than the statewide rate in 2004 and beyond. In this time period, violent crime
rates in Iowa City peaked at 454 in 1998, compared to a statewide rate of 312 and a national rate
of 568 that same year. In 2019, Iowa City had a violent crime rate of 200, compared to a statewide
violent crime rate of 267 and a national violent crime rate of 379.
The UCR property crime statistics include offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle
theft. Based on the 25-year period between 1995 and 2019, Iowa City has consistently held a
property crime rate lower than both the statewide and national rates. In 2019, Iowa City had a
property crime rate of 1,252, compared to a statewide property crime rate of 1,734 and a national
property crime rate of 2,110. Based on the 2019 data, property crimes in Iowa City have
decreased by 48.9% since 1995, while the statewide rate decreased by 53.8% and the national
rate decreased by 54.0% during that same time period.
However, both the statewide and national property crime rates have decreased in a more linear
downward trend than the property crime rate in Iowa City.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Violent Crime Rates, 1995 -2019
Iowa City Iowa U.S.
21
The crime statistics in this section illustrate that Iowa City is a very safe community relative to
state and national figures. This is despite status quo staffing levels in a growing community which
are well below national and peer community staffing level averages. However, there is concerning
criminal activity that occurs on a daily basis with great consequences to the victims of that crime
and residents in neighborhoods that experience trauma from nearby criminal activity. Growth in
weapon-related incidents should be a significant concern for the City Council and the larger Iowa
City community. The Council also needs to consider how future decisions on alcohol-related
enforcement activities may impact resident safety and the overall health of our city, university and
local economy.
2.4 Use of Force
The Department’s Use of Force General Order is available for review online on the Police
Department’s website. The General Order was updated in the fall of 2019 and again during the
summer of 2020. As with all General Orders, the updates are shared with the Community Police
Review Board (CPRB) for review and comment. Additionally, the Department submits monthly
reports to the CPRB on Use of Force incidents. Beginning in November of 2020 those reports
were retooled to share additional information with the board and the general public.
The Department and its officers aim to use the minimal amount of force necessary to bring an
incident under control while protecting the lives of all persons involved. The following table shows
use of force statistics from 2015-2019. As the data indicates, force is used in less than one percent
of all calls for service.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
Property Crime Rates, 1995-2019
Iowa City Iowa U.S.
22
Use of Force
Incidents
Total Calls
for Service
Use of Force as a
Percentage of Total
Calls for Service
2015 286 67,350 .42%
2016 365 68,697 .53%
2017 264 67,584 .39%
2018 279 66,505 .42%
2019 317 72,431 .44%
Note: As of the end of October 2020, the Department’s use of force as a percentage of calls for service is
approximately .32%.
It should be noted that many examples of use of force do not involve a physical altercation with
an individual. For example, the display (not deployment) of a taser or firearm is counted as a use
of force incident. Similarly, an officer that uses a firearm to euthanize a wounded animal also
records that action as a use of force.
The Department continues to invest in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and other de-escalation
trainings to keep use of force numbers as low as possible. Supervisory review of every use of
force incident is mandated by policy. This includes review by the employee’s immediate
supervisor, as well as the Captain, Chief of Police and an internal use of force review committee.
The Department places a strong emphasis on evaluating and learning from each use of force
incident.
2.5 Community Police Review Board Complaints
In October 2020, staff released a comprehensive report on the 23-year history of the City’s
Community Police Review Board (CPRB). The full report is available on the City’s website and is
included in this plan as Appendix III. The following complaint history is reprinted from the October
2020 CPRB report.
Since 1997, there have been 119 total complaints filed with the Community Police Review Board
(not including 25 filed complaints which were withdrawn by the complainant or summarily
dismissed).
The chart below shows the total number of complaints, but please note there may be several
allegations included in a single complaint and the Board issues a decision for each allegation. For
purposes of graphical representation in the chart below, complaints categorized as “sustained”
involve those in which at least one allegation was sustained (even if several others were not), and
complaints categorized as “not sustained” involve only cases in which zero allegations were
sustained.
23
Since 1997:
• 72% of all complaints had no
allegations sustained by the
Board (“Not Sustained” at right)
• 17% of all complaints were
Summarily Dismissed* or
Withdrawn by the Complainant
• 11% of all complaints had at
least one or more allegations
sustained by the Board
(“Sustained” at right)
*Reasons for summary dismissal may include: if complaints are not filed within the 90-day window, do
not involve a sworn Iowa City police officer, or complainant does not have “personal knowledge” of
alleged misconduct.
1 1
6
1 1 2 2 1 1 2
4
1 1 11
2
1 2
1
1
1
3
3
1
6
17
9
3
4
4
6
3 3 6
1
6
4
2
3
5
5
4
2
1
2
2
5
19971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019TOTAL COMPLAINTS BY YEAR AND BOARD
DISPOSITION
Summarily Dismissed or Withdrawn by Complainant Sustained Not Sustained
11%
72%
17%
BOARD DISPOSITION OF
COMPLAINTS
Sustained
Not Sustained
24
In total, of 119 complaints filed over the past 23 years, the Board has found that 16 complaints
in which at least one allegation was “sustained.” In half of these 16 cases, the Board’s
disposition differed from that of the Police Chief. Overall, in both cases involving allegation(s) that
were “sustained” and cases involving allegations which were “not sustained,” the Police Chief
and Board reach the same disposition 92.79% of the time. This means that over 9 times out
of 10, if the Police Chief finds a complaint involves an allegation that is “sustained,” the Board
agrees with that finding, and likewise for complaints in which all allegations are “not sustained.”
Of all complaints processed, the Board agreed with all of the Police Chief’s investigation findings
111 out of 119 times. For the other eight cases, the Board disagreed on at least one allegation’s
disposition and reversed the Chief’s decision.
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Sustained
Not Sustained
Complaint Disposition Comparison: Board vs. Police Chief
(Of Total Complaints Processed from 1997 -Present)
Board Police Chief
25
Complaints Disaggregated by Allegation Type
Many complaints filed with the Community Police Review Board include several different
allegations. For this reason, the graphical representations below will show a higher number of
allegations than complaints.
For statistical purposes, these allegations have also been categorized by type to produce the
visualizations below. Please see Appendix E to this report for definitions of these categories.
4
5
6
7
8
12
13
15
15
17
19
20
25
27
39
41
45
58
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
IMPROPER INTERVIEW/INTERROGATION TACTICS
TRAFFIC STOP WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE
PROPERTY DAMAGE
RETALIATION
CONSPIRACY OR ABUSE OF POWER
CIVIL LIBERTIES OR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION
LACK OF OR NO SERVICE
IMPROPER OR INADEQUATE INVESTIGATION
INCORRECT OR FALSE POLICE REPORT
NEGLECT OF HEALTH OR SAFETY
BIASED POLICING
UNLAWFUL ENTRY, SEARCH, AND/OR SEIZURE
UNWARRANTED CITATION, CHARGE, OR ARREST
WITHDRAWN BY COMPLAINANT/SUMMARILY DISMISSED
EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE
HARASSMENT OR INTIMIDATION
IMPROPER PROCEDURE
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Number of Allegations by Type & Disposition
(Of all allegations from 1997 -Present)
26
The Board “sustained” 4.5% of all allegations made in complaints filed between 1997 and
September 2020. The following graph shows the categories of the 16 allegations “sustained” by
the Board:
Comparatively, the Police Chief Report found 2.29% of allegations sustained. The chart below
highlights the categories of allegations in which the Chief and Board reached differing
dispositions. These include: (1) improper interview/interrogation tactics, (1) lack of or no service,
(2) unlawful entry, search, and/or seizure, (1) excessive use of force, and (2) unprofessional
conduct.
Category
Chief
Sustained
Chief
Not Sustained
Board
Sustained
Board
Not
Sustained
Improper Interview/Interrogation Tactics - 4 1 3
Traffic Stop without Probable Cause 5 5
Property Damage 6 6
Retaliation 7 7
Conspiracy or Abuse of Power 8 8
Civil Liberties or Human Rights Violation 13 13
Lack of or no service - 13 1 12
Improper/Inadequate Investigation Tactics 15 15
Incorrect or False Police Report 15 15
Neglect of Health or Safety 1 16 1 16
Biased Policing 19 19
Unlawful Entry, Search, and/or Seizure - 19 2 17
Unwarranted citation, charge, or arrest 25 1 24
Improper Procedure 3 42 3 42
Excessive Use of Force - 39 1 38
Harassment or Intimidation 41 41
Unprofessional Conduct 4 54 6 52
Total 8 341 16 333
Overall, the Police Chief’s investigation found 97.71% of allegations “not sustained,” and the
Board found 95.42% of all allegations made in complaints filed since 1997 “not sustained.”
1
1
1
2
1
3
1
6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
IMPROPER INTERVIEW/INTERROGATION TACTICS
LACK OF OR NO SERVICE
NEGLECT OF HEALTH OR SAFETY
UNLAWFUL ENTRY, SEARCH, AND/OR SEIZURE
UNWARRANTED CITATION, CHARGE, OR ARREST
IMPROPER PROCEDURE
EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Number and Category of Allegations 'Sustained' by Board
(Percentage of Total Allegations)
(1.72%)
(0.29%)
(0.86%)
(0.29%)
(0.29%)
(0.29%)
(0.29%)
(0.57%)
27
Recent Community Policing Initiatives
3.1 Community Outreach and Crime Prevention
In recent years, the Iowa City Police Department has worked earnestly to expand community
outreach and crime prevention activities in the community. This effort has been spearheaded by
Department leadership and supported through investments in community policing endorsed by
the City Manager’s Office and past City Councils. Leading these investments has been the
creation of new sworn and civilian community policing positions in the Department. These
positions were strategically added in order to provide personnel the ability to focus on community
policing strategies, rather than concentrating solely on calls for service activity.
Downtown Liaison Officer
In 2013, the Police Department created a sworn position to focus on building positive relationships
and resolving public safety issues without a strong enforcement focus. The Downtown Liaison
Officer position was originally funded, in part, by a federal community policing grant and the Iowa
City Downtown Business District (ICDD). While the federal grant ended after the first three years,
the ICDD has continued to support this position with a salary contribution each year.
The Officer assigned to work in this position spends a large portion of their time performing foot
and bike patrol in the downtown business district. They act as a liaison between the City and
downtown businesses and patrons. Through relationship building, they proactively work to
connect homeless individuals with social service and government resources, thus preventing what
had often resulted in calls for service to the Police Department. The officers work to identify root
causes of issues and aim to resolve those underlying matters instead of relying on traditional
enforcement of criminal codes to address nuisance behavior. Examples of such work include
helping to establish a winter homeless shelter and working with state and federal authorities to
eliminate the sale of synthetic drugs that were causing significant behavioral issues.
A critical element with this position is that the Officer is not routinely dispatched to calls for service,
which allows them to focus on community policing strategies, communication, and relationship
building. This long-term view has produced great dividends for the City of Iowa City. The business
community and our local social service agencies have widely praised the efforts of the Officers
that have filled this role. Due to the positive community impact of this position, an evening
Downtown Liaison Officer was added to supplement the efforts of the daytime Officer providing
attention to the nighttime scene in Downtown Iowa City.
Due primarily to staffing shortages, the City has struggled to keep these roles filled in 2020. As
multiple police officer vacancies occur at any given time, specialty positions such as these often
get pulled back into routine calls for service response. If the City wants to continue to invest in
this type of effort, overall staffing will need to remain stable so staff time can consistently focus
on non-dispatched activity. This allows for more community relationship building and mindful
public safety approaches in the Downtown area.
28
Neighborhood Response Officer
In 2013, the City Council authorized a second new community policing specialty position with the
help of a federal grant. This position is referred to as a Neighborhood Response Officer and work s
closely with the City’s Neighborhood and Development Services Department, property owners,
landlords, tenants, and neighborhood associations to address issues affecting neighborhood
stabilization. The Neighborhood Response Officer was originally stationed out of the former Police
Department Substation in Pepperwood Plaza.
One of the primary initial tasks of the Neighborhood Response Officer was to follow up on habitual
sources of neighborhood complaints related to loud music, littering, and other nuisances often
associated with large parties. By intervening in these matters outside of the actual occurrences,
the officer aimed to reduce future violations and strengthen neighborhood relationships so such
matters could be resolved without the need for traditional police intervention and enforcement.
Neighborhood Response Officers typically work flexible hours, depending on the problems they
are asked to help resolve. Issues can range from parties, neighbor disputes, vandalism, upticks
in localized crime, and other similar issues. They are a primary resource for neighborhood
associations and businesses. The Neighborhood Response Officer has also worked to establish
relationships with University of Iowa students and has conducted trainings for the Greek
community and incoming students. These Officers will often participate in special events such as
National Night Out, neighborhood association gatherings, Special Olympics, and more. A second
Neighborhood Response Officer was added in 2018. That position splits time with neighborhood
assignments and serves as the aforementioned evening Downtown Liaison Officer.
Community Outreach Assistant
In 2015, an hourly civilian Community Outreach Assistant position was established. The position
was assigned to the Crime Prevention Office to assist in the planning, coordination, set up, and
execution of community outreach events. The focus of the Community Outreach Assistant was to
establish new relationships and communication channels within the community. The position was
additionally assigned to assist the Community Service Officers on patrol with various tasks, like
traffic control. In 2016, the Community Outreach Assistant became a full-time permanent position.
In 2019, the civilian position was retooled to improve outreach efforts to better meet the
Department’s mission. The Community Outreach Assistant (COA) was no longer assigned to
assist the Community Services Officers with their routine duties and was fully focused on
community outreach. The COA maintains a positive, active, and visible presence throughout the
community. The position attends various community events and also represents the Police
Department on community-wide committees like the Johnson County Disproportionate Minority
Contact committee and the Prevent Child Abuse-Johnson County group.
The COA develops, implements, and administers community outreach programs, materials, and
activities that support the mission of the Police Department. The position develops strategies to
support relationships and community efforts with people who represent all segments of the
community. It is the priority of the COA to engage with under-represented groups, like refugee
and immigrant communities, to create relationships, promote accessibility to police services, and
educate on police procedures. Additionally, the position responds to questions and suggestions
from the public and City staff and assists with management of the Department’s social media
platforms.
29
Community Relations Officer
The four positions outlined above helped to significantly expand the Department’s community
policing efforts over the past decade. They joined the previously established Community Relations
Officer as being the Department’s dedicated staff charged with building proactive relationships
through prevention and outreach efforts.
As early as 1989 the Iowa City Police Department had an officer assigned to Crime Prevention.
In the 1990’s this position included participation in the popular DARE program which aimed to
develop relationships with area youth. From 2005 to 2009 the Department did not have anyone
assigned to the position. In 2009, the Crime Prevention Office was reformed when DARE was no
longer a viable program.
The new Crime Prevention Officer was established in August 2009. The Officer was tasked with
planning and coordinating community outreach programs such as the Citizens Police Academy,
Neighborhood Watch, Crime Free Business, and Safety Village. The Crime Prevention Officer
took on several tasks to monitor and proactively address community-related issues such as graffiti
and youth violence.
The Crime Prevention Officer was involved in programming for at-risk youth in the schools and
neighborhoods. The Officer also reported police incidents involving students to the schools they
attend in effort to address needs for counseling and monitoring. In 2017, to better reflect a more
concentrated focus on community outreach and building positive relationships in the community,
the position was retitled Community Relations Officer. The Community Relations Officer continues
to work with the Community Outreach Assistant to develop relationships in the community through
outreach events, presentations, and programming. The Officer continues to focus on engaging
youth and minority communities, along with public education on crime prevention.
Community Outreach Examples
The six following examples are by no means an exhaustive list of outreach activities that the
Department is involved in within a given year. However, these examples illustrate some of the
larger efforts which take place on a regular basis. Throughout the year, Officers will collectively
participate in hundreds of outreach activities. These events are critical and help build trust and
legitimacy between community and the Police Department
• Citizens Police Academy: The Iowa City Police Department, in cooperation with the Coralville
Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff's Department, University of Iowa Department of
Public Safety, and North Liberty Police Department, offers an annual Citizens Police Academy
for members of the community. The goal of the Academy is to educate participants on the
many aspects of law enforcement while promoting a stronger relationship between police
officers and residents.
The Citizens Police Academy is a 10-week program in which participants meet one night per
week, typically January through April. Past academies have covered topics such as: Police
Officer recruitment and training; search and seizure; ethical issues in law enforcement; use of
force; firearms; defensive tactics; drug investigations; and bomb and SWAT team overviews.
Participants also tour the Johnson County Jail and conduct a ride along with Officers on patrol.
The Academy is effective in enhancing communication between Officers and the public. At
the conclusion of the program, participants have a better understanding of the demands
30
placed upon their Police Officers, while at the same time allowing Officers the opportunity to
gain valuable insight and feedback from the people they serve.
• Safety Village: Safety Village is a two-week summer camp for children ages five to seven to
learn about safety in a hands-on way. Safety Village is a child-size "village" complete with
buildings, streets, traffic lights, and pedal-driven cars. It is located on the grounds of Grant
Wood Elementary School and provides a setting where children can prepare for and practice
real-life situations. Through classes, crafts, and interaction with real emergency vehicles and
officials, campers receive a well-rounded introduction into a variety of safety topics. Safety
Village is staffed by a certified director, paid staff, and community volunteers, with participants
organized into small groups to ensure adequate individual attention. Police Officers and
Firefighters from the Coralville and Iowa City Police and Fire Departments participate each
day during the two-week camp. This early Officer interaction helps build positive connections
with children and their families.
• National Night Out: This event is part of a nationwide effort to heighten crime prevention
awareness, build partnerships between neighborhoods and law enforcement, and send a
strong community message that neighborhoods are organized and engaged on neighborhood
improvement matters. Several neighborhoods host child-friendly block parties with food,
games, and music. Special appearances are made by Herky the Hawk and McGruff the Crime
Dog. Iowa City Police Officers attend all hosted parties to meet neighbors, play games, hand
out special gifts to children, and host a back-to-school backpack raffle. National Night Out is
traditionally held the first Tuesday in August.
• Coffee with a Cop: Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative that aims to build trust between
community members and Police Officers. Police and community members come together in
an informal, neutral space to discuss local issues and build connections. Coffee with a Cop
provides the opportunity to break down communication barriers. One of the keys to the
program’s success is that it removes barriers that routinely exist, allowing for relaxed, one-on-
one interactions which are the necessary foundation of partnerships. This program has been
hosted in a variety of locations throughout the Iowa City community, such as Downtown coffee
houses, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Retirement Homes/Assisted Living Communities, and more.
Iowa City’s events are often attended by numerous Officers and Department leaders. The
Department has been successful in encouraging segments of the population, such as our
local special needs community, to attend targeted offerings of this program.
• Kid’s Day: In 2017, the Police Department’s Community Relations Officer developed an event
for children and families to learn about local public safety and meet the people behind these
uniforms. This annual event takes place during the summer at a city park. Several other
agencies are recruited to participate in the event, including Johnson County Ambulance
Services, the Iowa City Fire Department, the Coralville Police Department, the University of
Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Metro Bomb Squad, and the Iowa City Metro Area
Special Response Team. Families have the opportunity to talk with First Responders, try on
gear, and experience the inside of emergency vehicles. The Police Department provides food
through partnerships with area businesses and other giveaways, such as pool passes, are
also available.
31
• Holiday with Heroes: The annual holiday shopping trip is hosted by Target and made possible
in part by donations from Officers through the Iowa City Police Association and donations
made by the Iowa City Masonic Lodge #4. The Police Association selects children who have
experienced traumatic life experiences with the assistance of the Iowa Department of Human
Services, the Iowa City Community School District, and the Officers’ personal interactions with
families in the Iowa City area. Children are paired with Officers to shop for necessity items, as
well as gifts for family members and themselves. Many Officers and employees volunteer their
time to assist with this event. This program was formally known as Shop with A Cop. These
shopping events have been hosted by the Iowa City Police Department for over 25 years.
Crime Prevention Training Examples
In addition to outreach activities, the Police Department delivers crime prevention messaging
throughout the year in a variety of ways. The crime prevention training programs that the
Department offers provide some of the best opportunities for officers to build relationships in the
community. Police Officers often have opportunities to receive specialized training and
professional development coursework and are encouraged to share that knowledge with the
community they serve. Examples of trainings we provide include:
• Active Shooter Response Training
(ALICE)
• Alcohol safety
• Bartenders and server awareness
(TIPS)
• Fraud prevention
• ICPD 101
• De-escalation
• Self Defense
• Hate Crimes
• Personal Safety
• K9 Presentations
• Child Abuse & Domestic Violence Law
• Social Media Safety
• Bike Rodeos/Bike Safety
• Distracted Driving
• Crisis Intervention
• Internet Crimes Against Children
Although the Department lacks a dedicated communications position, community policing
oriented staff attempt to message timely crime prevention messaging through social media,
traditional email listservs, and established community contacts. Examples of this include
messaging on avoiding financial scams or home security over holiday and school breaks.
Finally, the Iowa City Police Department has invested in Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design training (CPTED). CPTED is a multi-disciplinary approach to crime prevention that uses
urban and architectural design and the management of built and natural environments. CPTED
strategies aim to reduce victimization, deter offender decisions that precede criminal acts, and
build a sense of community among inhabitants so they can reduce crime and minimize fear of
crime. The Department has four employees certified in CPTED (2 sworn/2 civilian). Those staff
are available to consult with other City staff when designing capital projects or reviewing private
development projects. The staff can also work with neighborhoods and businesses to help
proactively prevent crime through design.
32
3.2 Diversion
The Iowa City Police Department recognizes the importance of diverting individuals from the
criminal justice system. The Department maintains close contact and continual communication
channels with the Johnson County Attorney’s Office and the Johnson County Jail Alternatives
Administrator. Below are some illustrative examples of such diversion efforts.
Juvenile Detective Position
The Investigations Division of the Iowa City Police Department has one detective solely dedicated
to crimes involving juveniles. This Detective facilitates criminal investigations for crimes
perpetrated by juvenile offenders as well as for crimes committed against juvenile victims. The
Detective maintains a close working relationship with the Juvenile Court, the Iowa City Community
Schools District, and juvenile support services in the community, particularly United Action for
Youth. This Detective tracks juvenile crime and actively seeks ways to divert juveniles from the
criminal justice system.
Georgetown Project
In the fall of 2013, the Iowa City Police Department sent an officer to Georgetown University for
an intensive training, along with representatives from our local judicial branch, schools, juvenile
court and community-based organizations. The Georgetown Team, as they are now known, were
tasked with reviewing current practices to see if there are researched-based solutions that can be
incorporated into our local system to keep low-level offenders out of the formal Juvenile Court
system.
The Georgetown Team developed a pre-referral diversion concept for all juveniles cited for
Disorderly Conduct, which was implemented in 2014 before the start of the school year. The
Juvenile Court Office assess each diversion referral from local law enforcement to determine if
the juvenile qualifies for the diversion program. To qualify for the diversion program, the juvenile
must not have had any prior adjudication and must not currently be on probation. Previous
referrals on other criminal offenses including disorderly conduct will be taken into consideration
to determine if the juvenile meets the criteria for diversion. If the juvenile does not meet the criteria
for diversion or does not successfully complete the diversion program, the Juvenile Court Office
will follow through with a court referral.
The diversion program requires the juvenile to complete a series of assignments which include
an impact letter, thinking errors curriculum, and community service. These requirements will be
done one-on-one with a Juvenile Court tracker from the Linn County Detention Center. The benefit
to the juvenile if they complete the diversion program is that they are never entered into the
Juvenile Court’s ISIS System. The juvenile could then confidently represent that they were never
formally referred to Juvenile Court.
Another advantage of the pre-referral diversion program is the concept that the schools are no
longer calling the police for first-offense Disorderly Conduct. The agreed upon model for these
situations is that the school is expected to handle disruptive behavior with school sanctions and
only call the police if their remedies fail, if there is continued disorderly behavior by a certain
student, or if the incident is so disruptive, they need police assistance for de-escalation.
In 2016, the diversion program was expanded to include the offense of theft 5th degree.
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Theft Diversion Program with United Action for Youth
The Georgetown Team continues to explore diversion options beyond Disorderly Conduct
incidents. Recently, the team developed a theft diversion program in cooperation with United
Action for Youth (UAY) that focuses on a younger demographic. In this program, youth ages 12
and under are referred to UAY’s Youth and Family Advocacy Program. The juvenile works with
an assigned advocate who provides social-emotional support and helps assess needs and
available resources. The advocate assists in both getting needed services in place and follow-up
with the juvenile to provide continued support. Youth over the age of 13 are referred to Juvenile
Court Services and are given the option for themselves and their caregiver to attend UAY’s
Shoplifter Diversion Program in exchange for having their charges removed. The diversion class
offers education and support to help both youth and their parents.
Juvenile Court Services tracks recidivism rates for the theft diversion program and in 2020, the
recidivism rate for youth in the program was 2.4%. This low rate, along with the number of cases
diverted, demonstrates the success of this program.
L ADDERS
Juvenile Court uses a program called LADDERS (Learning Alternative Daily Decisions to Ensure
Reasonable Safety). The premise of LADDERS is to prevent formal charges from being filed
against youth for disorderly conduct charges. Instead, if the youth has not had prior formal court
involvement, the youth will be asked to participate in a diversion program that will provide them
an opportunity to rethink how he/she can handle conflict in the future. Examples of diversion
requirements include an apology letter, a thinking errors class, risk assessment, and community
service. Once the requirements are completed, no formal charges will be filed. The expectation
is that after completing the LADDERS program, there will be no future involvement with the
juvenile justice system. This program is currently implemented in Johnson County and referrals
come from the Iowa City Police Department, other law enforcement agencies, and the Juvenile
Court system.
The LADDERS program seeks to reduce:
• The number of disorderly conduct charges that are filed against youth in Johnson County.
• The number of referrals made to the juvenile court system on simple misdemeanor charges.
• The disproportionate number of minority youth involved in juvenile court.
University of Iowa’s Students Helping Out (SHOUT) Program
The SHOUT program is managed by the University of Iowa Department of Public Safety and
provides trained civilian student ambassadors to patrol student-sponsored events, student
gatherings, and Downtown Iowa City during high-traffic weekend hours with a focus on bystander
intervention and overall safety. The Iowa City Police Department fully supports this program and
continues to coordinate with the University of Iowa on this important diversion and public safety
program. The Police Department can request SHOUT’s assistance during the nighttime bar
scene, which limits the need for Officers to be involved with minor incidents.
The primary mission of the SHOUT program is to provide a community service to students and
other patrons by helping a lost person find their group and arranging safe transportation for the
individual. This program is focused on community service and safety rather than law enforcement
and compliance. SHOUT does not request Police assistance for minor infractions such as
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jaywalking, riding bikes in unauthorized areas, tobacco compliance, or loitering unless there is an
immediate concern for someone's safety.
Due to the assistance of the SHOUT student ambassadors, there are fewer incidents requiring
Police intervention. For example, if SHOUT provides an intoxicated person a safe ride home there
is less of a chance that person will commit a minor crime or become a victim of a crime. SHOUT’s
intervention can reduce incidents of public intoxication, public urination, vandalism, and even
assault. Thus, their efforts are viewed as diverting individuals from the criminal justice system and
prioritizing safety through bystander intervention.
Building Unity Linking Businesses for Safety (BULBS)
The Iowa City Police Department launched BULBS in October 2017. This program allows Officers
who stop vehicles and notice a minor equipment violation the option to give the driver a voucher
to get the defective equipment repaired for free. Local businesses listed on the vouchers
voluntarily participate in the program and are reimbursed by the Police Department for the cost of
the repair.
This program is need-based and is used, at the Officer’s discretion, when it is determined that the
individual may need help getting the defective equipment replaced due to financial or other
personal hardships. Issuing a voucher instead of a citation is a proactive way for the Officer to
divert an individual from the criminal justice system through a positive interaction instead of a
punitive ticket.
Since implementation of the program, Iowa City Officers have issued more than 215 vouchers
and have seen over 60 redeemed at local automotive repair businesses.
3.3 Supportive Services
Outreach, prevention and diversion efforts all serve important roles in a Police Department. Just
as critical are the supportive services law enforcement can provide that help ensure those
susceptible to recidivism, along with victims of crime, get the care, support and services they need
to rebound and move forward in a positive manner. The Iowa City Police Department has spent
considerable effort and resources in recent years helping to ensure that the Department’s and the
community’s networks of supportive services continue to grow and strengthen.
Data Driven Justice Initiative (DDJI)
In November 2017, Iowa City was awarded a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation
(now Arnold Ventures) to pursue innovation in data sharing between local government,
healthcare, and social service providers. Iowa City was one of only three pilot sites in the nation
chosen for this work. The goal of the work was to (1) identify individuals who were cycling through
criminal justice and healthcare systems that were not improving the individual’s situation; and (2)
support new and improved social service solutions guided by the data.
Iowa City’s progress on data sharing has been the focus of numerous industry articles, webinars,
and national conference presentations. Many tools for integrating, analyzing, and visualizing data
specific to law enforcement and shelter services are available to agencies across the country as
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a result of the work in Iowa City. Locally, several examples of enhanced social services received
strong support due, in large part, to the efforts of this initiative.
The Arnold Ventures grant ended in 2020. However, the success of the effort led to the creation
of a dedicated Data Analyst position in the Police Department. The Data Analyst position will carry
on much of the work inspired by the grant while also helping the Department become more data
driven in all aspects of its service to the community.
Cross Park Place Housing First Project
Cross Park Place served as a demonstration project for the state of Iowa and formed by the
Collaboration Committee of the Johnson County Local Homeless Coordinating Board. Cross Park
Place incorporates the Frequent User Systems Engagement (FUSE) and Housing First models,
two nationally recognized programs. Housing opportunities are made available through a Housing
First approach and target chronically homeless members of our community who demonstrate high
utilization of local healthcare and criminal justice systems.
The initial work on Cross Park Place began around 2014. Staff from Shelter House and members
of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board agreed that Housing First and Permanent Supportive
Housing would be a valuable asset to members of our community. A small multi-disciplinary
group, which included the Downtown Liaison Officer, volunteered to study the impact this type of
service would have on individuals and the community. The data collected and analyzed told a
very compelling story. Shelter House was able to obtain funding to build and launch the project
that would be named Cross Park Place, which opened in January 2019. Today, 24 individuals
who previously lived on the streets of the Iowa City area, are now permanently housed and
supported with on-site services at Cross Park Place.
The chart below shows number of nights persons experiencing homelessness spent in jail – from
three years before the opening of Cross Park Place through the nine months following the
opening. The dotted vertical line indicates the opening of Cross Park Place. There was a
significant decrease in nights spent in jail for this population, dropping from an average of 107
nights in the three years prior, to an average of just 28 nights after its opening. This number is
expected to continue to decrease as residents of Cross Park Place continue to realize the benefits
of stable housing and supportive wrap-around services.
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The opening of Cross Park Place, along with the addition of the Downtown Liaison Officer
positions and enhanced relationships between the Iowa City Police Department and the social
service community, has led to a reduction in homeless-related calls for service and
arrests/citations. In 2016, there were over 450 homeless-related calls for service with
approximately 5% resulting in arrest or citation. In 2019, there were less than 300 such calls with
only about 1% resulting in arrest or citation. The progress made on homeless response and care
over the past five years, with the active support of the Iowa City Police Department, is a significant
achievement for this community.
GuideLink Center
For several years, the Johnson County Jail Alternatives staff has led a community-wide
investment in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and also helped conceptualize a facility that would
better serve those in crisis and provide law enforcement an alternative supportive service option
instead of relying on the jail or emergency room. Through a cooperative government effort led by
the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the GuideLink Center facility is expected to open in
February of 2021. The City of Iowa City contributed Police Department staff and elected official
planning resources, as well as $2.5 million in critical financial support.
The GuideLink Center is designed to offer a welcoming space where professionally trained
healthcare and social service staff can deliver 24/7 services, including rapid assessment, triage,
stabilization, and follow-up healthcare resources. The GuideLink Center’s mission is to provide
immediate care for adults facing emotional, mental health, or substance use challenges. The
facility will also work with individuals and their families to provide support as they seek to transition
to ongoing, follow-up resources. Initial GuideLink Center Services include:
• Behavioral Health Crisis Stabilization: Prompt evaluation and treatment for individuals
presenting with acute symptoms or distress, including both 23-hour “crisis observation” beds
that allow for a thorough evaluation, initiation of treatment and connection with follow-up
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services, as well as “crisis stabilization” beds for stays up to 5 days as necessary to maintain
safety and restore the individuals’ ability to return to the community.
• Sobering Service: A safe place where someone can be closely watched while they withdraw
from alcohol or other substances, including an opportunity to examine one’s interest or need
to become involved in substance use treatment.
• Detoxification: Provides a safe, medically supervised space for individuals to withdraw from
drugs or alcohol and stabilize before engaging in a treatment program.
• Referrals to Affiliated Partners:
o Community mental health services
o Sub-acute stabilization services (beyond 5 day stays)
o Substance use services
o Peer support
o General medical services
o Housing support
o Vocational support
The Iowa City Police Department intends to use the GuideLink Center to its fullest extent and
expects that the services will provide appropriate care for individuals in crisis. This care is
expected to improve long-term outcomes, provide support, and reduce recidivism. The
Department will work with Johnson County staff to track usage and outcomes after its February
2021 opening.
Supporting Victims of Domestic and Sexual Assault
In 2018, the Iowa City Police Department was awarded a substantial grant through the
International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of
Crime’s national demonstration initiative entitled Integrity, Action, and Justice: Strengthening the
Law Enforcement Response to Domestic and Sexual Assault. For this intensive 20-month project,
which concluded in the fall 2019, Officers worked to elevate their response to victims of crime
through increased training efforts, development or improvement of policies and MOU’s, and
strengthened partnerships with community-based victim service programs. The effort ultimately
inspired the Department to change its mission statement to emphasize the priority of serving
victims of crime.
The following is a list of items accomplished through grant efforts:
• Updated agency vision/mission statement to embrace the spirit of a victim‐centered response.
It now reads, “To work in partnership with the community, enhance trust, protect with courage
and compassion, and empower victims of crime through excellence in service.” From this, a
new Departmental motto was created, “Excellence in Service”.
• Created stand‐alone policies, updated existing policies, and implemented parallel training
efforts in collaboration with community partners. The Department created a Sexual Assault
Response policy and is continuing efforts on a Stalking Response policy. The Department
also updated its Domestic Assault Response policy and amended notification procedures to
include involvement in crimes of sexual, domestic, or harassment involving Officers.
• Expanded Officer training content to include additional victim response information and the
impact of trauma during victim interviews, and investigations of domestic violence, sexual
assault, strangulation, and stalking, as well as topics of victim rights and the LGBTQ+
community.
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• Restructured an existing report writing room into a trauma-informed ‘soft interview room’. This
is an intentionally-designed space which helps create comfort for victims/survivors at the who
have experienced trauma.
• Purchased a literature rack which contains educational information on domestic violence,
sexual assault, stalking, and strangulation.
• Initiated reconciliation of all domestic assault, sexual assault, and stalking cases to ensure
reporting requirements are being met.
• Established a permanent Sexual Assault Detective position which is declared in the ICPD’s
Organization policy.
• Established the Iowa City Human Trafficking Initiative, an inclusive group comprised of
community partners which meets quarterly to discuss topics of human trafficking.
A major portion of the grant included funds for training and technical assistance for Officers and
community partners. The following is a list of training and technical assistance events during the
grant period:
2018
• Conference on Crimes Against Women – 3 staff, 3 community partners (CPs)
• End Violence Against Women International Conference – 3 staff, 3 CPs
• IACP First Line Supervisor Training on Violence Against Women – 2 staff
• National Center for Victims of Crime Conference – 1 staff
• Battered Women’s Justice Conference – 1 CP
• 6th Annual Technology Summit – 1 staff, 1 CP
• IACP Annual Conference – 5 staff
• Vicarious trauma training - 16 staff, 39 CPs
2019
• Trauma Informed Sexual Assault training – 1 staff
• Iowa Sex Crimes Investigator’s Association conference – 6 staff
• Family Justice Alliance Conference – 10 staff, 2 CPs
• Conference on Crimes Against Women – 8 staff, 4 CPs
• End Violence Against Women International Conference – 10 staff, 2 CPs
• Nat’l Bilingual Sexual Assault Conference – 1 staff, 2 CPs
• FBI Human Trafficking training event – 6 staff, 9 CPs
• Trauma Informed Victim Interview training – 1 staff
• IACP Leadership Institute – 2 staff
• Nat’l Sexual Assault Conference – 3 staff
• Predominant Aggressor training – 1 staff
• Domestic Assault Response event – 1 staff, 5 CPs
• Strangulation training – 16 staff, 8 CPs
• Stalking training – 12 staff, 4 CPs
• General training on grant topics – 36 staff
• Trauma Informed Investigation – 13 staff, 21 CPs
• LGBTQ+ training – 13 staff, 1 CP
• Drug and Alcohol Facilitated SA and Title IX training – 22 staff, 27 CPs
• Victim Rights training – 12 staff, 6 CPs
This grant provided the opportunity to focus with detail on internal policies and procedures to
ensure proper response to victims of domestic and sexual assault. More importantly, the grant
39
afforded the Iowa City Police Department the time and resources to invest in relationship building
and team building with area social services providers that offer professional supportive services
to victims. The co-training opportunities highlighted above illustrate the types of enhanced
collaborations that were formed and continue to pay dividends today. These connections help
ensure victims receive the support they need and, and as a result, minimize the chances that they
will again be victimized in the future.
During this grant period, the Department developed its first social work position, the Victim
Services Coordinator, through a practicum partnership with a graduate-level student. This
practicum partner began working with the Department’s Investigations Team and focused solely
on the care and well-being of the victim. Due to its success and the support offered by local social
service providers, the City Council authorized making this position permanent in the fall of 2020.
Iowa City will now have a permanent civilian social worker as the Victim Services Coordinator to
bolster its services to the community.
While the Integrity, Action, and Justice: Strengthening the Law Enforcement Response to
Domestic and Sexual Assault Grant provided the opportunity for the Department to accelerate its
efforts in this area, it should be noted that Iowa City has always placed a high emphasis on
domestic abuse response. In 1997, the Police Department initiated a Domestic Abuse Response
Team (DART) in order to have a positive impact on persons, especially minorities and women,
affected by domestic abuse. The DART consists of the Domestic Abuse Investigator, a Domestic
Violence Intervention Program Advocate, and a Johnson County Domestic Abuse Prosecutor.
The Domestic Violence Investigator partners with a member of the Domestic Violence Intervention
Program (DVIP) to provide a joint, united approach in assisting victims with safety planning,
navigating the criminal justice system, and referrals to support services in the community. The
Domestic Abuse Investigator also works closely with the prosecution to increase offender
accountability and conviction rates.
In 2017, the Iowa City Police Department and all other agencies in Johnson County implemented
a research-based risk assessment program called ODARA, the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk
Assessment, as a pilot program for the State of Iowa. Officers use the ODARA score to assign a
risk level to each domestic assault offender after the arrest. That number is then used by the
judicial system and other programs to provide an appropriate response, congruent to the needs
of that specific offender. This pilot has been received very well and has the potential to impact
how domestic assault cases are handled throughout the State of Iowa. The Department believes
ODARA has been effective in ensuring that each offender is treated fairly and justly by the criminal
justice system, while also protecting the safety of the victim and the public at-large.
In 2015 the Iowa City Police Department received the national Hopeline Champion Award by
Verizon. The award recognizes select law enforcement agencies across the country for
extraordinary commitment and focus on preventing domestic violence and raising community
awareness. The Police Department was nominated by its longstanding community partner, the
Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP).
Iowa City Police Department Chaplain Program
The purpose of the Chaplain Program is to offer opportunities for men and women in religious
communities and from a variety of faiths, to assist Officers and residents of Iowa City as spiritual
leaders. The Chaplains seek to lighten the burden of Officers by performing tasks that have a
spiritual or social nature rather than a law enforcement nature. The Chaplains strive to strike a
balance between serving the needs of the Officers in their personal and professional lives and
40
serving the Iowa City area community. The Chaplains may also assist Officers with performing
duty-related tasks, including:
• Providing assistance to victims
• Making death notifications
• Crisis response and non-emergency transportation
• Assisting victims of domestic violence
• Assisting families of suicide victims
• Serving as liaison with other clergy in the community
• Providing spiritual counseling to an arrestee
• Assisting the homeless.
The volunteer services provided by the Police Chaplains can go a long way in assisting Officers,
persons charged with crimes, and victims of crimes. These connections help provide a bridge of
support and stability for individuals who have experienced trauma or crisis. The Department is
currently working to expand the number of chaplains to diversify offerings for the community.
The City of Iowa City would like to thank all the current and past Police Chaplains:
Current:
• Mel Schlachter Trinity Episcopal Church
• Heather Weber LIFEchurch
• Joshua Tilley The River Community Church
• David Arnold Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church
• Tom Wolthuis Geneva Campus Ministry
• Larry Chambers Family Visitation Center
Past:
• Tom Widmer Grace Community Church
• Darron Murphy Life Tabernacle Church
• Anthony Smith New Creations International Church
• Sister Annamarie Marcalus Sisters of St. Francis/Catholic Worker House
• Carroll Yoder Peace Mennonite Church
3.4 Connections with Targeted Populations
Part of the Iowa City Police Department’s community policing strategy has been to focus on
building relationships and connections with various segments of the community. This strategy has
helped to build cultural understanding to positively influence the way Officers respond to calls and
support victims of crime. Some examples of programs which are designed to enhance
relationships and improve outcomes are noted below.
Loved Ones Safe and Together (LOST)
The Iowa City Police Department (ICPD), in collaboration with the East Central Iowa Chapter
Alzheimer’s Association, University of Iowa Children’s Hospital Autism Center, Iowa City Area
Autism-Asperger Syndrome Family Group, Handicare, The Village Community and the Autism
41
and Safety Risk Initiative, operate the Loved Ones Safe and Together (LOST) program. This
program assists in identifying and locating community members who have been separated from
their families or caretakers. Individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, autism, or other
medical conditions which involve memory loss or confusion, may wander away from their home.
Police Officers are called upon to assist in these situations by family members or Officers may
come across individuals who are lost but have not been reported as such. Time is a critical factor
in safely locating missing persons, especially in dangerous weather conditions. Prompt
dissemination of information about the missing person to the Police and public is essential, so
providing necessary information to the police in advance may result in a timelier reunification.
The LOST program operates through an ICPD-managed database that contains voluntarily
submitted information about a person who may be prone to wandering including their name,
address, physical description, birth date, and a photograph. The database also includes
information about the potential activities of the person, where they may be going, where they have
been found when lost previously, and what symptoms they may exhibit when located by the Police
Officer. Additional information can include communication tips or techniques, unusual behaviors,
sensory needs, triggers and ways to effectively interact with the individual. There is no cost for
families to register for and participate in this program.
Project Lifesaver
Project Lifesaver (https://projectlifesaver.org/) is an international search and rescue program
managed by a non-profit agency and implemented through local public safety agencies. The
program is strategically designed for “at risk” individuals who are prone to the life-threatening
behavior of wandering. The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to
save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children with the propensity to wander due to
a cognitive condition.
The Iowa City Police Department is a participant in this international program and receives
technology and training to support the local effort. The training includes the use of the locating
equipment, implementation of strategic methods specifically designed for the program, and
community policing courses that provide a basic understanding of cognitive conditions to better
comprehend the behaviors of an individual with said condition. The program relies on proven radio
technology and specially trained search and rescue teams. Individuals who voluntarily enroll in
Project Lifesaver wear a small transmitter on their wrist or ankle that emits an individualized
frequency signal. If an enrolled person goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project
Lifesaver agency and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. The first
responders will then use the client’s individualized frequency to locate the position of the individual
and apply their training to appropriately approach the client and return them to safety.
Project Blue Able
Project Blue Able is a program currently under development. Although the project has been
delayed due to the pandemic, the ICPD hopes to launch a pilot program by the end of 2021, in
partnership with local disability service agencies and advocates.
Project Blue Able was inspired by a program operated by the Connecticut Department of
Transportation, where drivers on the autism spectrum or with hearing or vision impairments, carry
colored envelopes to hand Officers during a traffic stop. The envelopes provide an immediate
visual cue to the Officer that the driver has a disability so the Officer can modify their approach
42
appropriately. Additionally, the envelopes contain information on the driver’s condition and contact
information for their care providers.
By launching a similar program in Iowa City, the Department hopes to provide individuals with
disabilities another layer of security when interacting with law enforcement. The ICPD has
partnered with Access 2 Independence, the University of Iowa’s Speech and Hearing program,
and other special needs advocates to develop the pilot program in alignment with the real
struggles those with disabilities may have while communicating with the Police.
LGBTQ+ Liaisons
LGBTQ+ liaisons are recommended as a best practice for law enforcement by the National
Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. The ICPD has embraced this effort and
actively seeks ways to demonstrate support for the LGBTQ+ community, such as participation in
the annual Pride parade in Downtown Iowa City.
Additionally, The ICPD currently has ten officers assigned as liaisons to the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning+ communities. These Liaison Officers work to foster
positive relationships and trust between the Department and LGBTQ+ residents, facilitate
dialogue with investigation units concerning LGBTQ+ related crimes, expand education about and
involvement with the LGBT+ community, and help train other Officers in these topics.
Community Trainings
The Iowa City Police Department regularly participates in cultural competency, diversity, equity,
and inclusion trainings. Many of these trainings are conducted in collaboration with social services
agencies and advocacy groups in the community. These community-based trainings help educate
our Officers in a locally-relevant manner while also building critical relationships that strengthen
community policing efforts.
Below is a list of organizations that have assisted the Police Department with trainings since
2015:
• Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP)
• Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP)
• Nisaa African Family Services
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
• Monsoon Asian and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• United Action for Youth (UAY)
• Juvenile Court Services
• University of Iowa School of Social Work
• State of Iowa Department of Human Services
• The Village Community
• Prelude Behavioral Services
• CommUnity Crisis Center Mobile Crisis Outreach
• Brain Injury Alliance
The City of Iowa City would like to thank these service providers and all other community partners
that have assisted the Police Department by offering trainings and educational opportunities.
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Restructuring the Iowa City Police Department
Outcome Oriented: A Continuum of Responses to Crisis Calls
Over the last several months, much of the national and local conversation around policing has
focused on the appropriateness of sending law enforcement personnel on calls that involve a
person in some type of crisis. Over the last several decades, Police Officers have seen an
increase in crisis-related calls for service while, at the same time, federal and state governments
have reduced funding or failed to keep pace with resources to properly treat and care for these
individuals. As a result, many persons in crisis, as well as the concerned public, rely on Police
Officers to intervene. Recently, the public has voiced their preference that professionally trained
crisis professionals be involved in those calls so that the individual in distress can receive the
appropriate care both during and after the incident. The Iowa City Police Department supports
this notion and will work to ensure that civilian responders can safely respond as these programs
are expanded or developed and implemented.
Calls for Police assistance vary considerably. Some calls do not require an Officer to intervene
with a subject at all, while others may involve an active threat with a dangerous weapon. An
understanding that no two calls are the same is an important consideration when discussing
response types. As such, no single response model will sufficiently address every call. Such a
singular focus would be a great disservice to the community as it would serve a limited number
of people, unnecessarily jeopardize the safety risk of the public, civilian responders, and law
enforcement.
Instead, the core component of the plan to restructure the Police Department should be a
commitment to a Crisis Calls for Service Continuum with various response strategies targeted at
different points along the continuum. This continuum is illustrated in the following graphic and
generally focuses on (1) preventing as many calls for crisis as possible, (2) maximizing the
number of calls that can be safely diverted away from law enforcement to civilian responders, (3)
enabling police to safely co-respond with civilian crisis professionals when a safety concern is
present, and (4) ensuring that when a Police response is needed, the Officers are fully equipped
to deescalate, stabilize the situation, and conduct a safe handoff to the appropriate aftercare
option.
It is important to keep in mind when considering this continuum that individual calls can shift
between points in the continuum throughout the span of a response. For example, a call that is
diverted away from law enforcement initially could escalate to a point where law enforcement is
needed. This fluidity of calls underscores the need for focus, preparation, and coordination at all
points along the continuum.
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The following sections of this report will introduce strategies that can be explored and
implemented in each of the four stages noted in this continuum.
4.1 Prevent (Avoiding Calls for Service)
The community’s goal, first and foremost, should be to prevent the need for anyone to call for law
enforcement assistance. This should not be misconstrued to mean that anyone should hesitate
to call the Police for assistance when needed. Rather, it simply emphasizes that the community
should do all it can to create a safe, supportive and accessible network of resources to keep
people from entering a stage of crisis.
Investment in Social Services
Traditionally, across the country and in Iowa, county governments have assumed the
responsibility of providing human and social services. While Johnson County makes significant
investment in this area, the City of Iowa City has long supplemented this effort with its own
targeted financial investment. The City primarily does this through an annual Aid to Agencies
grant program, as well as one-time and recurring contributions for special initiatives. Examples of
the latter include investment in the annual winter shelter, support of the 1105 social service
agency project, the GuideLink Center investment of $2.5 million and the annual allocation of $1
million for local affordable housing projects (including the planned second Housing First project
under development by the Shelter House).
The Aid to Agencies grant program utilizes federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
dollars and local dollars to assist Iowa City-based non-profit agencies in their various missions.
Unfortunately, federal support has steadily declined over the last 20 years while community
45
population and need have expanded. The chart below shows annual federal allocations of CDBG
dollars that are, in part, used to fund the Aid to Agencies grant program. Federal CDBG rules
state that no more than 15% of annual allocations can be used for programs such as our Aid to
Agencies grants. The chart below shows the steady decreasing trend in Federal CDBG funding
since Fiscal Year 2003.
With Federal dollars stagnating, there has been more pressure for scarce local resources to keep
up with the demands placed on our non-profit community. From Fiscal Year 2010 to Fiscal Year
2019 the total allocation (local and federal) for the Aid to Agencies program ranged from $378,700
to $445,026 annually with only modest increases in local funding supporting the program. In Fiscal
Year 2020, the City Council increased the Aid to Agencies budget 54% to $681,544. For the
current Fiscal Year 2021, the City Council increased the amount again to $705,000. It should be
noted that this increase required an intentional dedication of significant local resources that may
have otherwise been considered for personnel, programming, or capital project needs of the City,
including the Police Department.
This increase in local funding has greatly aided the 20 social service agencies that have been
allocated funding this current year. While this increase is significant, it still falls well short of
providing the resources that agencies need to meet the full demand of the community. Staff
intends to annually increase the Aid to Agencies grant allocation at an inflationary rate consistent
with budget constraints; however, the City Council should consider whether a new revenue source
could provide a significant stabilizing revenue stream for these agencies whose missions and
services will help prevent calls for service from ever being made.
$-
$100,000
$200,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
$600,000
$700,000
$800,000
$900,000
$1,000,000
FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21
Federal CDBG Allocations
RECOMMENDATION #1:
Pursue a Local Option Sales Tax that would in part bolster the annual Aid to
Agencies grant program and provide additional flexibility for strategic one-time
investments in our non-profit community
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Innovative Targeted Civilian Outreach Initiatives
One of the best methods for preventing calls for service is to proactively engage with targeted
segments of the population to educate and connect people with resources. While this is the
overall vision for our existing community policing positions, the Officers filling these roles often do
not have the time, resources, professional training, or language skills to effectively engage with
all segments of our population. Expanding our capabilities through external community
partnerships and internal civilian positions would undoubtedly provide great benefit to the
community and help prevent calls for service.
The top two targeted outreach priorities for the Police Department are the homeless population
and the immigrant and refugee population. In recent years, the Department has done an
exceptional job in using our sworn Downtown Liaison Officer position to compassionately engage
with individuals experiencing homelessness. While this has worked well, the effort could be even
more impactful if that work was done by a civilian Street Outreach and Engagement Specialist
who could dedicate 100% of their time to this effort. This position would ideally be employed by
an outside agency whose mission is related to homeless services. A close working relationship
between the Police Department and a Street Outreach and Engagement Specialist position would
help connect individuals to services and prevent nuisance calls to the Department from the public.
Over time, this position could also help respond to non-public safety related calls for service that
are received by the Iowa City Police Department.
The second top priority for specialized outreach is with Iowa City’s growing immigrant and refugee
population. While Police staff have worked to develop and build these relationships, a position
dedicated solely to this effort would lead to quicker and more effective outcomes. The ideal
candidate for this internal civilian position would be someone from within the community who has
established relationships, language skills, and a deep understanding of differences in social and
cultural norms, especially around law enforcement. The position would not only educate the
immigrant and refugee community on local, state and federal laws, but would also deliver equally
important training and education to Officers and other City staff as we strive to improve service
levels to this population. Examples of new outreach programs this dedicated position could lead
include development of multi-lingual refugee and immigrant guides, cultural exchanges between
Officers and residents (modeled after Coffee with a Cop), and first responder open houses at
community centers and gatherings. Due to the highly focused scope of the position, the
RECOMMENDATION #2:
Partner with the Shelter House to jointly fund a new Street Outreach and
Engagement Specialist, to be employed by the Shelter House and that would work
in close cooperation with the Iowa City Police Department, to proactively connect
individuals to services and prevent police calls for service generated by the public
47
recommendation is for the position to begin as a part-time permanent role and grow into a full-
time position.
4.2 Divert (Responding Without Law Enforcement)
Beyond prevention efforts, Iowa City should seek to increase opportunities for a civilian response
to individuals in crisis. Trained mental health professionals should be called upon to respond to
calls with no immediate public safety threat. Johnson County is fortunate to already have a
24/7/365 mobile crisis service that is managed by CommUnity Crisis Center. Mobile Crisis is
accredited under Chapter 24 of the Iowa State Code and strictly follows all professionally
developed guidelines in this Chapter. During COVID, Mobile Crisis has been utilizing telehealth
procedures, which has decreased its overall call volume. However, in the fiscal year immediately
preceding the pandemic, the Mobile Crisis team responded to 551 calls in Iowa City alone (737
in Johnson County). Calls for Mobile Crisis services come from a variety of sources with
individuals (those in need or calling on behalf of someone in need) and law enforcement as the
top two sources of calls.
Mobile Crisis is staffed by full-time employees in a central office Monday through Friday from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. Outside of these hours, the service is staffed by on-call counselors who are
dispatched from a decentralized location and then mobilize with a Mobile Crisis teammate before
responding. Thus, response times during the on-call hours lag behind those during the staffed
office hours. The Mobile Crisis team averaged 38 minutes for response time within Johnson
County and 27 minutes inside of Iowa City. The program has an impressive 85% diversion rate
(clients are considered diverted if counselors were able to stabilize those clients at home or
connect them with resources outside of the emergency room or jail). The most common Mobile
Crisis responses during this past year were crisis de-escalation (50%), suicide risk screening
(24%), resource connections / referrals (15%) and crisis bed screenings (11%).
Although Johnson County is extremely fortunate to have this service available, many people in
the community are not aware of this service. The City of Iowa City, including the Police
Department, should actively market local available crisis services including, but not limited to,
CommUnity’s Mobile Crisis unit. Consistent and intentional promotion of these services may
contribute to an increase in calls diverted from the Police Department to local mental health
professionals.
RECOMMENDATION #3:
Create a half-time permanent civilian Community Outreach Assistant position that
focuses solely on outreach and engagement with Iowa City’s growing immigrant and
refugee population
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Expanding Mobile Crisis
Increased community awareness of crisis services will likely lead to higher usage of these
services. Additionally, a new federal law which established a streamlined, national ‘988’ crisis
hotline is pending implementation, which may further drive usage increases of non-law
enforcement responses, such as Mobile Crisis. While these changes are positive, it is prudent to
take steps in the near-term to ensure that Mobile Crisis will be equipped with sufficient resources
to handle increased call volume.
City staff has had initial discussions with CommUnity on possible expansion scenarios. Through
these conversations, it has been determined that an ultimate goal should be to replace the current
hybrid model that uses centralized staffing Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on-
call counselors during off hours with centralized staffing 24/7/365. Moving away from on-call
primary responders will ensure faster response times and help build permanency with the staff,
which will ultimately reduce turnover, improve consistency in service, and contribute to stronger
relationships between law enforcement and other community stakeholders. In addition to
increased personnel costs (wages and benefits), there will be a need to secure new office space,
an additional vehicle, and added fuel and maintenance costs.
Gradual expansion towards this goal is feasible, but further conversation is needed to determine
the most appropriate steps forward. Currently, Mobile Crisis is a county-wide service. At this time,
it is unknown whether other governmental entities in Johnson County will be willing to par tner and
provide resources for expansion. Expanding the service only in Iowa City, and not the rest of the
county, would likely raise additional complexities that would require more time to work through.
Another important first step in planning a gradual expansion is a careful study of calls for service.
Such analysis, which proved to be invaluable for the development of the Cross Park and
GuideLink projects, would help guide decisions on priority days/times for enhanced staffing as
well as expected increases in call volumes.
RECOMMENDATION #4:
The City should take an active role in marketing local crisis services to the public
including the 24/7/365 Mobile Crisis unit with the aim to increase the diversion of
calls away from the Police Department to trained mental health counselors
RECOMMENDATION #5:
Following in the path of the Cross Park Place and GuideLink projects, the Iowa City
Police Department should work cooperatively with CommUnity and other local
governments in 2021 to take a data driven justice approach to planning for
expansion of the existing Mobile Crisis service
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Mobile Crisis Integration with the Joint Emergency Communication Center
(JECC)
Mobile Crisis services are currently dispatched in centralized locations in each mental health
region. In the region serving Iowa City, mobile crisis services are dispatched by Foundation 2
based in Linn County. This dispatch is separate from 911 emergency dispatch. This means that
Mobile Crisis dispatches calls from members of the public who intentionally dial a crisis hotline,
such as a 1-800 number or eventually the 988 national hotline that is planned to be implemented
in July of 2022. The only way Mobile Crisis is dispatched to an incident that originated with a 911
call is if a law enforcement Officer requests Mobile Crisis after assessing the situation.
People are trained at a very young age to dial 911 when in crisis, and typically do not have a
lengthier 1-800 line committed to memory. While the 988 hotline will help with this in the long-
run, there is a still an opportunity to explore how Mobile Crisis services could be dispatched
directly from the same dispatchers who field 911 calls. This step could divert hundreds, if not
thousands, of calls per year from law enforcement without having to rely on retraining the public
on who to call when in crisis.
This change would require extensive conversations with the Joint Emergency Communication
Center (JECC), which is home to the Johnson County 911 dispatch center and the regional mental
health dispatch operations. To integrate with JECC, appropriate mental health protocols and
training requirements will need to be developed to help dispatchers make appropriate decisions
when receiving calls. Those protocols would be vetted by the JECC User Advisory Committee,
which includes local law enforcement, fire personnel, and emergency medical service providers.
Subsequently, the JECC policy board would also have to approve such an expansion of service
and responsibility. While Iowa City has representation on these boards, it does not control a
majority. Thus, intergovernmental cooperation will again be essential to achieve this goal. If
approved, other decisions, including deployment of technology such as radios, mobile terminals,
and GPS coordinates would also need to be discussed and resourced.
Fortunately, JECC dispatchers already have some experience with civilian dispatch protocols.
Iowa City Community Service Officers, as well as Animal Services staff are already integrated
into the 911 dispatch system. The work previously done to establish these civilian response
opportunities should make the path forward a little less daunting and the new approach more
comfortable.
RECOMMENDATION #6:
The City should convene stakeholders from the mental health region, CommUnity
Mobile Crisis team, and Joint Emergency Communication Center staff and board to
discuss integration of Mobile Crisis services into the 911 dispatch process
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Evaluation of the Community Service Officer Positions
The Iowa City Police Department currently employs three civilian Community Service Officers.
These positions are perhaps best recognized in the community by the white pickup trucks that
they drive. These civilian positions assist with a variety of tasks both internally at the station and
externally in the community. Internally, Community Service Officers assist with backup coverage
of Station Master positions, help with vehicle maintenance responsibilities, and also assist with
evidence management. Externally, they assist with routine traffic control assignments (removing
hazards in the road, setting up speed trailers, etc.) and can address minor enforcement activities
such as parking violations. In 2019, Community Service Officers completed more than 4,400 calls
for service in the community.
It has been several years since the Department conducted a comprehensive review of the
Community Service Officer positions. A data-driven analysis of calls for service should be
reviewed to see if any changes to the current job description may be warranted. If additional duties
could be diverted to Community Service Officers, then a full review of the position would need to
take place to see if the pay and classification would need to change. While current staff do not
have capacity to significantly expand duties, such a study may influence decisions to add
Community Service Officer positions and further reduce pressure to add sworn patrol positions.
Automated Traffic Enforcement
Conversations around eliminating bias-based policing often involve consideration of changes
which reduce the role Police play in situations that carry a higher risk of escalation, such as traffic
stops. This has led to some floating the idea of Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) as a method
for enhancing roadway safety while eliminating opportunities for real or perceived bias-based
traffic stops. The most common form of ATE is the use of cameras and monitoring technology to
capture and enforce speeding or red-light violations in high-risk areas. As of 2018, Iowa was one
of 19 states that use ATE cameras for both speeding and red-light violations.
In 2011, City staff proposed the idea of utilizing ATEs to aid in traffic enforcement. The Council
concurred with staff’s recommendations and passed an enabling ordinance in early 2012. While
the staff was working with the State Department of Transportation, a local group of residents
submitted an initiative to restrict the use of ATEs. The City Council ultimately changed course and
in 2013 passed an ordinance that restricts the use of ATEs in Iowa City. This restriction is still in
City Code today and would need to be lifted in order for the City to deploy this technology. Should
this be done, the City Council should expect robust debate in the community on the merits of
ATEs. The technology, while effectively used in some communities, can be extremely polarizing
and a consistent point of contention in cities that utilize them.
RECOMMENDATION #7:
The Police Department should conduct a comprehensive, data-driven review of the
civilian Community Service Officer position and determine if those civilian positions
can safely divert duties from sworn staff
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The last several state legislative sessions have seen regular activity around this topic, including
proposals to ban ATEs entirely, as well as proposals to scale back cities’ ability to use these
devices through regulation of the cameras and returning some of the revenue to the state. Other
concerns that have been raised about the use of ATE equipment include due process complaints
and equity considerations for traffic fines, which can reinforce cycles of poverty and discrimination.
There are several jurisdictions in Iowa that use ATE on Iowa’s primary road system, including the
larger cities of Des Moines, Davenport, Council Bluffs, Muscatine, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, and
Waterloo. If the City Council wishes to move forward with a study of ATEs, staff will need to
evaluate data from these communities and work to better understand the Department of
Transportation rules, regulations and application procedures for state roadways including
Highways 1/6. Staff would also need time to evaluate locations where cameras would be most
effective in reducing accidents.
4.3 Co-Respond (Responding with Law Enforcement as
Secondary)
While prevention and diversion of calls should be a priority for the community, there will continue
to be a large volume of calls for service to which a civilian team response is not comfortable or
safe responding. These instances could include situations involving weapons, persons with a
known history of violence, or other similar factors that become apparent through the dispatch
process. For some of these calls, it will be possible to respond with a co-responding pair, which
would include one law enforcement officer and one civilian mental health professional.
While each call will vary, the premise of these co-responding teams would be to use the law
enforcement professional to ensure the situation is initially safe and remains safe for the civilian
mental health professional to assume the lead response role. Ideally, the law enforcement
professional is dressed in a soft uniform that will minimize the risk of triggering the person in crisis.
Such teams have been successfully created and deployed in many other agencies. Locally, the
Cedar Rapids Police Department has found great success with such a model through a
partnership with Foundation 2, a non-profit crisis services provider in Linn County.
RECOMMENDATION #8:
The City Council should determine if they wish to revisit the concept of automated
traffic enforcement. If the technology is something the City Council wants to explore,
direction should be provided to staff on what information is desired to make an
informed decision
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In October of 2020, City staff joined Johnson County (Sheriff’s Office and Jail Alternatives) and
CommUnity Crisis Services in applying for and ultimately receiving a grant that was made
available by the Mental Health / Disability Services of the East Central Region (ECR). The grant
will allow for the development and implementation of a civilian law enforcement co-response
program within the Iowa City Police Department. With this grant, the ECR will fund a position to
be employed by CommUnity Crisis Services (Mobile Crisis Team). The funding commitment
includes 100% of personnel costs in year 1, 75% in year 2, 50% in year 3 and 25% in years 4 and
beyond. While the position will be employed by CommUnity, the Police Department will pay the
portion of the salary that is not covered under the grant.
The City is in discussions with the ECR, CommUnity Crisis Services and Foundation 2 about how
the program will be structured. Foundation 2 brings great expertise to the table from their
successful program with the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Their guidance, training, and
expertise will help ensure the co-responding partnership finds success here in Iowa City. Once
MOUs are established, the City Council will be presented with more information and asked to
formally commit to the program.
The benefits of this co-responding program go far beyond the outcomes of individual calls for
service. Other law enforcement agencies who have adopted this model have found that the
position’s presence within the Department increases overall awareness of mobile crisis services
and increases the number of referrals made by law enforcement. The program can also positively
influence individual Officer discretion over time. The civilian position can play a role in training
Officers in de-escalation techniques and educating the community about prevention resources
and diversion opportunities. Lastly, this model is easier to expand if desired in the future and such
expansion will be needed in the future to ensure a co-responder team is on-duty at all times.
RECOMMENDATION #9:
The City Council and Iowa City Police Department should join Foundation 2 and
CommUnity Crisis Services in developing and implementing a co-response team that
pairs a specially trained Police Officer with a CommUnity Mobile Crisis mental health
professional. The program will be funded in partnership with the East Central Mental
Health Region and will include a new Police Officer specialty position that will be
accommodated through a reduction in one Sergeant position.
53
4.4 Stabilize and Connect (Law Enforcement as Primary)
Despite all efforts to prevent, divert and co-respond, there will be calls for service that require law
enforcement to assume control of the scene. Such calls include volatile situations where public
safety is clearly a concern, or when a co-responder team or mobile crisis is not available to handle
the call in a timely manner. In these situations, the City needs to ensure that Officers have proper
training and are focused on securing a safe scene and de-escalating the immediate threat or
crisis. After the scene is stabilized, the Officers need to have resources available other than jail
and emergency rooms to connect individuals to receive proper follow-up care.
Crisis Intervention Training
For the last several years, law enforcement agencies in Johnson County have invested heavily in
Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). The Iowa City Police Department is one of a select number in
the state of Iowa and across the nation that requires all of its Officers to complete CIT training.
This 40-hour training program caters to law enforcement officers and other first responders with
a focus on how best to respond to individuals experiencing mental health crisis and substance
use issues.
Partnering agencies within Johnson County work together to offer the week-long training
throughout the year. Non-Law Enforcement partners and stakeholders who are involved include:
Johnson County Jail Diversion, Mobile Crisis, Brain Injury Alliance, Meadowlark Psychiatry,
Prelude, Shelter House, Cross Park Place, and NAMI. The goal of the program is to educate
Officers on how to recognize and respond appropriately when dealing with individuals in crisis,
specifically training on aspects such as de-escalation and active listening techniques. Topics
throughout the week include CIT response, a Lived Experience Panel, Adverse Childhood
Experiences, Child & Adolescent Intervention, Autism, Brain Injury, Addiction and Co-Occurring
Disorders, Suicide & Mood Disorders, Personality Disorders, Excited Delirium, Mental Health
Law, Intellectual Disabilities, Homelessness, and Mobile Crisis Response.
The Iowa City Police Department currently has six certified CIT instructors on staff. In addition to
these six employees being lead instructors for the CIT program, two individuals provide ongoing
training to outside law enforcement agencies and corporate entities. This external training offered
by the Department has been extremely well-received. Department CIT Instructors have also been
asked to present at statewide conferences and at the CIT International Conference.
The Iowa City Police Department’s commitment to CIT training has not only improved service to
the community, it has created an enhanced awareness of mental health crises, increased referrals
to Mobile Crisis, and helped expand a culture of problem-solving and compassion in response.
RECOMMENDATION #10:
The Iowa City Police Department should continue to ensure that all Officers receive
initial Crisis Intervention Training and subsequent continuing education in de-
escalation techniques. The Department shall continue to encourage personnel to
obtain CIT instructor certification
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Use of Narcan to Counter Opioid Overdoses
The Police Department is often the first on scene to a call for service and Officers do everything
they can to stabilize situations and provide care for victims or persons in crisis. One way the
Department can better assist the public is through use of Narcan. Narcan is an opioid antagonist
that can quickly counter the effects of opioid overdoses. It was designed for use by first
responders and caregivers and requires no formal medical training to dispense. Timely use of
Narcan can save lives and allow medical professionals who may arrive to the scene later than the
Police more time to properly care for the person in crisis.
In collaboration with the Iowa Department of Public Health, all Iowa City Police Officers will begin
carrying Narcan in December to better respond to victims of drug overdoses. This harm reduction
strategy is accomplished through the donation of Narcan doses from the Iowa Department of
Public Health. The Iowa City Police Department has instituted new standard operating guidelines
and training for the dispensing of Narcan.
Coordinate As sess Respond Engage (CARE )
The Iowa City Police Department, through the work of the Data-Driven Justice Initiative, has
helped to provide feedback informing the development of a product named CARE. CARE is an
online reporting tool that empowers law enforcement agencies to better understand issues
surrounding calls for service involving individuals in crisis. The use of CARE will allow the
Department to better understand the number of types of crisis calls, the disposition of those calls,
effective techniques to resolve the calls, and to determine if training is consistent with the types
of calls received. In addition, the system can automate the referral process, so local service
providers can quickly and easily make connections with individuals who may benefit from
services.
RECOMMENDATION #11:
The Iowa City Police Department should partner with the Iowa Department of Public
Health to begin carrying Narcan to better assist those experiencing an opioid
overdose when no medical professional is on scene to assume such care.
RECOMMENDATION #12:
The Iowa City Police Department should move forward with implementation of the
Coordinate Assess Respond Engage (CARE) reporting tool to better inform Officer
response and training, as well as to increase efforts to expand and automate
referrals to local service providers.
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GuideLink Utilization and Future Planning
The anticipated February 2021 opening of the GuideLink Center in Iowa City is a major step
forward for the community. GuideLink will provide law enforcement a much needed third option
(other than jail or the emergency room) for people who may need some type of professional
assistance with a crisis or substance abuse issue. This facility will enhance services to those in
need in a non-punitive manner and provide the best opportunity for someone in crisis to access
both the short and long-term help that they need.
The Police Department must closely monitor how Officers are using GuideLink and ensure that
we are maximizing usage of this facility. The Police Chief should designate a command staff team
to lead this Department-wide analysis. Regular usage reports should be reviewed by the Police
Chief and should also include analysis of responses that perhaps could have used GuideLink and
did not for one reason or another. These instances need to be reviewed with appropriate follow-
up and training to the involved Officers.
Finally, the Department needs to be actively engaged in intergovernmental discussions about
GuideLink operations and opportunities to continually expand its offerings to the community.
These future planning efforts will be important, especially as gaps in service become more
apparent after the facility opens in 2021.
Victim Services Position
As previously noted in this document, the Police Department created a Victim Services position
through a practicum partnership with a Master’s degree level student. This practicum partner
began working with the Department’s Investigations Team a couple of years ago and focused
solely on the care and well-being of the victim. With the support of local social service providers,
the City Council authorized making this position permanent in the fall of 2020. Iowa City is now in
the process of hiring a permanent civilian trained in social work as the Victim Services
Coordinator.
In order to maximize effectiveness of this new permanent full-time position, the Department must
work closely with local social service providers to ensure there are strong relationships and
communication channels. The Victim Services Coordinator will play a significant role in bolstering
those connections and ensuring that victims experiencing trauma have access to needed services
in the community. These efforts will help ensure that individuals do not become re-victimized and
RECOMMENDATION #13:
The Police Chief should designate a command staff team to analyze the
Department’s usage of the GuideLink Center and to actively participate in ongoing
intergovernmental evaluation and planning efforts to explore how the facility can
best meet the changing needs of our community.
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that they can move forward with their lives with the support and care of the City and greater Iowa
City community.
RECOMMENDATION #14:
The Victim Services Coordinator should engage in regular meetings with local
service providers for the purpose of continually evaluating how the Iowa City Police
Department can best utilize the professionals in those organizations to support
victims experiencing trauma and crisis.
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Outcome Oriented: A Commitment to Unbiased Policing
Reducing racial disparities in law enforcement contact and outcomes has been central in guiding
conversations around police restructuring. In response to the larger reckoning with systemic
injustices and violence against Black Americans, the community’s demands for racial justice in
Iowa City’s public safety strategy have been clear. The extensive research pointing to racial
disproportionality in the criminal justice system cannot be ignored. Many of the recommendations
included in this plan address issues that intersect with race and offer steps forward for eliminating
this disparity. Additionally, the recommendations included in this section have been specifically
identified as opportunities to more directly address the disparities and systemic racism.
4.5 Department Training
The Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), provides the training foundation for all Officers in
the State of Iowa. ILEA has several functional areas of basic training that total over 600 hours for
each Officer. While ILEA trains in topics such as unbiased policing, race relations, ethics and
professionalism, verbal defense and influence, and trauma informed interviews, these topics are
a small percentage of the overall training a new Officer receives.
Although the City of Iowa City does not have control over ILEA basic training, it does have control
over our local Field Training program. The Field Training program is a nationally accepted training
process designed to assist probationary Officers in making the transition from the classroom
environment (typically ILEA) to the application of learned skills in field situations. Field Training
Officers, or FTOs, have been selected for their abilities to perform the job professionally and
impart necessary knowledge. All FTOs are required to attend training specific to the Field Training
and Evaluation Process.
The Iowa City Police Department Field Training and Evaluation Process is divided into five training
or evaluation “steps”, with a minimum of 16 weeks of training while assigned to at least three
different FTOs on various patrol watches. Probationary Officers rotate watches as they advance
to the next training/evaluation step. Each of the steps represents time spent on different tasks
and learning experiences. In this manner, the Iowa City Police Department assures exposure to
the multiple responsibilities required of a Police Officer. The five steps of the Field Training and
Evaluation Process are designed to provide:
• A systematic approach to in-the-field training
• Consistent and standardized training
• The means of developing ability to perform the tasks necessary for the competent execution
of solo patrol assignments
• An introduction to all areas of a Police Officer’s role and responsibilities
• The opportunity to learn from a number of the Department’s FTOs who will help Probationary
Officers learn Departmental policies and procedures
The current Field Training program requires Probationary Officers to review Departmental policies
such as those on racial profiling and unbiased policing. However, the process should be modified
moving forward to dedicate intentional and meaningful training time and resources towards
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ensuring all new Officers understand the history of policing, past and ongoing disproportionate
impacts on minority communities, and steps they can take in their daily duties to be unbiased and
anti-racist. Additionally, the Field Training program should provide additional training on Crisis
Intervention, de-escalation and the availability of Mobile Crisis and other prevention and diversion
options in the community. This effort will require a comprehensive review of the Field Training
program and exploration of training and education partnerships with external experts and
members of the community.
Past and Annual Trainings
In recent years, the Department has focused on expanding training opportunities for its staff
beyond traditional law enforcement topics. Examples of recent trainings include topics such as:
• Strengthening Relationships with LGBTQ+ Communities
• Diversity Focus
• Mental Health for Veterans
• Cultural Competency
• Mental Health
• Ethics
• Bias-Based Policing/Racial Profiling
• Fair and Impartial Policing
• Alzheimer’s & Autism
• Crisis Intervention
• De-Escalation
• Effective Communication with Aggressive, Mentally Ill, and Emotionally Disturbed Individuals
• Developmental Disabilities and Dementia
• Consequences and Impacts of Police Interactions on Minority Communities
• Responding to and Investigating Hate Crimes
The Department should continue to seek innovative and progressive training opportunities for its
Officers and, when possible, identify internal champions who can become certified trainers in
specialty topics. Within the next year, the Department should actively seek training in bystander
intervention. With the Department’s new General Order on Duty to Intervene, it is incredibly
RECOMMENDATION #15:
The Iowa City Police Department should conduct a comprehensive review of its Field
Training program for Probationary Officers and partner with the community to expand
training on the history of policing, past and ongoing disproportionate impacts on minority
communities, steps Officers can take in their daily duties to be unbiased and anti-racist,
crisis intervention, de-escalation, and awareness of existing prevention and diversion
resources in the community.
59
important that Officers have the training and confidence that they need to step in prevent any Law
Enforcement Officer from exhibiting biased policing or excessive use of force.
One premier training opportunity is through the Georgetown Innovative Policing Program, in
partnership with global law firm Sheppard Mullin. Georgetown has created the Active
Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project to prepare Officers to successfully intervene
to prevent harm and to create a law enforcement culture that supports peer intervention. Trainings
are limited and require letters of support from community organizations. The Department is
working with the NAACP and Black Voices Project to apply for the four-day ABLE training. Officers
who complete the training will be in turn able to share their knowledge and offer training to fellow
Officers in the Department.
Community Led Training
While training for statewide and national subject matter experts will always be important, it is
increasingly important that Police Departments seek local training through partnerships with
community organizations and groups. In the past, the Iowa City Police Department has done a
good job partnering with social service agencies and groups like the NAACP on community-led
trainings. However, this effort can and should be expanded in the coming years. These locally
led training opportunities can be incredibly impactful as the community can describe lived
experiences and facilitate open, respectful dialogue with Officers in a way that builds
understanding, humanizes issues, and quickly influences change.
Within the next two years, the Police Department should pursue race-related community trainings
through partnerships with organizations, including but not limited to, Black Voices Project,
NAACP, Immigrant and Refugee Association, University of Iowa Student Government and
University of Iowa Athletics. The City has already initiated discussions with several of these
groups and will continue to explore ways to allow the community to take the lead on training their
Police Department.
RECOMMENDATION #16:
The Police Department should actively pursue the Georgetown Innovative Policing
Program’s Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training with the goal of
preparing Officers to intervene to prevent harm and create a culture of peer intervention.
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4.6 City Code and Departmental Policy Changes
It is imperative that the City stay committed to continually developing and modifying police related
policies in an open and transparent manner. The Department should constantly seek best
practices from other departments and consider recommendations from non-law enforcement
organizations that research, analyze and critique emerging trends in law enforcement.
The Iowa City Police Department is one of only ten Iowa law enforcement agencies accredited by
the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Only 4% of all law
enforcement agencies in the country have earned this distinction. The purpose of CALEA’s
Accreditation program is to improve the delivery of public safety services. Specifically, CALEA’s
goals are to:
• Strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities
• Formalize essential management procedures
• Establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices
• Improve service delivery
• Solidify interagency cooperation and coordination
• Increase community and staff confidence in the agency
This accreditation program challenges the Department to continually review policies and meet
best practice standards. External reviewers hold the Department accountable by confirming
compliance with said standards. Maintaining accreditation (Iowa City has been accredited since
2002) requires a dedicated effort of the Police Department to review policies and monitor
Department standards and compliance on a daily basis, not just during annual reviews or four-
year accreditation cycles.
Currently, accreditation efforts are managed by a sworn Sergeant within the Iowa City Police
Department. Long-term, these duties may be best suited for a civilian position that would bring a
non-law enforcement perspective to policy development and compliance review efforts.
RECOMMENDATION #17:
Community-led training opportunities should become an increased focus for the
Department, especially on the topic of race. The Department should actively pursue
several community-led trainings in partnership with groups such as Black Voices
Project, NAACP, Immigrant and Refugee Association, University of Iowa Student
Government and University of Iowa Athletics
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All Police Department General Orders are available for public review on the Police Department
website. For additional transparency and community feedback purposes, each time a General
Order is modified, or a new one is created, the General Order is shared with the Community Police
Review Board (CPRB) for their feedback before final adoption of the policy.
In 2020, the Department reviewed and revised the following General Orders, which were all
reviewed by the CPRB:
• Use of Force
• Body Cams and In-Car Recorders
• Juvenile Procedures
In addition, the Department created a new General Order: Duty to Intervene and Report. This new
General Order came after the Department entered a memorandum of understanding with area
law enforcement on this topic. The memorandum of understanding was facilitated with assistance
from the NAACP.
Looking ahead to calendar year 2021, the Iowa City Police Department intends to review 36 of its
General Orders. Those scheduled for review include:
• Search and Seizure
• Harassment and Sexual Harassment
• Off-Duty Conduct: Powers of Arrest
• Bias-Based Policing
• Juvenile Procedures
• Detainee Processing
• Firearms
• Less Lethal Weapons
• Investigating Sexual Assault
• Duty to Intervene and Report
• Civil Rights
• Police Vehicle Pursuits
• Alarm-Open Door Response
• Prisoner Transport
• Use of Force
• Domestic Violence
• Arrests
• Field Interviews and “Pat-Down”
Searches
• Informants
• Shootings/Lethal Incident Investigations
• Police Media Relations/Public
Information
• Criminal Intelligence
• Narcotics, Organized Crime and Vice
Investigations
• Canine Operations
• Internal Affairs Investigations
• Special Purpose Vehicles
• Temporary Light Duty
• Persons with Mental Illness
• Fiscal Management
• Communication, Coordination, and
Cooperation
RECOMMENDATION #18:
Iowa City should consider a civilian Accreditation Manager position that could bring a
non-law enforcement perspective to police policy development and compliance review
efforts.
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• Polygraph
• Contractual Agreements and Contracted
Duty Employment
• Radio Communications Procedure
• Licensee Background Investigation
• Investigative Case Screening Process
• Infectious Disease Control
Unbiased Policing Ordinance
On November 17, 2020 the City Council passed the first reading of an unbiased policing
ordinance. A second reading similarly passed on December 1 and final consideration is slated for
December 15. The ordinance language was largely developed by the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP,
and codifies police policy prohibiting racial profiling and any form of bias-based policing. It further
defines the grievance process for those who have experienced or witnessed bias policing and
requires annual police training in implicit bias, cultural competency, bystander intervention, or
other similar topics. Additionally, the ordinance requires intervention and reporting when an
Officer witnesses biased policing actions.
Codifying these policies is an important step as it amplifies the City’s commitment to fair and
impartial policing and increases the transparency of this commitment to the public. The City
supports the greater effort by the NAACP to place the similar language in State of Iowa Code. It
is our hope that Iowa City’s adoption of the unbiased policing ordinance provides momentum for
other cities and the State of Iowa to do the same. Widespread or statewide adoption of such
language will have a greater impact on law enforcement and its future workforce.
RECOMMENDATION #19:
The Police Department should strive to update each of the 36 General Orders
scheduled for review in 2021 with a racial impact lens, make necessary policy
changes to eliminate racial inequities in resulting outcomes, and incorporate the
inclusion of a Racial Impact Statement into the review process beginning in 2021
and for all General Order reviews moving forward.
RECOMMENDATION #20:
The City Council should adopt the Unbiased Policing Ordinance and the City should
actively advocate alongside the NAACP and other advocates for similar language to
be adopted into State law.
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Interim Guidelines for Traffic Stops
In October 2020, Interim Police Chief Denise Brotherton issued new guidelines to all Officers for
traffic stops. The new measure acknowledges disparities in stops and outcomes and notes the
societal costs of such disparities. These costs ultimately inhibit the Department’s ability to achieve
its mission to work in partnership with the entire community.
The new guidelines provide clear direction to Officers to focus traffic enforcement efforts on issues
of driver and public safety. The desired outcome is for the public to view traffic enforcement solely
as an effort to help ensure safety of the public and not as a punitive action for non-safety related
issues. The intent of following this traffic stop guideline is also consistent with the overall goal of
eliminating any occurrence of bias-based policing practices.
The guidelines prohibit Officers from initiating stops based solely on secondary / pedestrian and
regulatory violations such as minor equipment violations and jaywalking. If a stop is initiated for a
public-safety reason, then Officers are limited to issuing a warning or a BULBS voucher to address
any secondary / pedestrian and regulatory violations. Lastly, the new guidelines prohibit
indiscriminate checking of license plates without an articulable and non-bias public safety reason.
The guidelines were issued with a scheduled review by the Police Chief after 60 days. After that
review the Police Department will determine whether to modify the order or make it permanent
through amendment of a General Order.
Public Safety Camera System and Usage Policy
In the FY 2019 budget, the City set aside funds to expand public safety cameras into the
Pedestrian Mall. The infrastructure portion of the project was completed with the Pedestrian Mall
rehabilitation project that took place in 2019 and was completed in 2020. The City now needs to
install the cameras and adopt the policy that governs their use. The City has circulated an initial
draft policy to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and is working through comments before
finalizing the document.
The public safety camera network is intended for investigations of serious crimes and is not
intended for use as a surveillance tool. Over the years the Department has seen numerous
significant public safety issues in the Downtown that has required hundreds of hours of
investigatory work. Such incidents include shootings, hate crimes, sexual assaults, and seriously
injured persons. Without a camera system, the Department utilizes Investigators to try to identify
witnesses and private video sources. This limits the Department’s success rate in quickly
resolving the crimes and bringing answers and justice to the victims. It also heightens the risk that
RECOMMENDATION #21:
The Police Department shall make permanent the prohibition on indiscriminate
license plate checking and initiation of traffic stops based on non-public safety
secondary violations after any modifications are considered after the initial 60-day
review period.
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a criminal, such as a sexual predator, may repeat an offense and further victimize additional
people.
The City appreciates that there will be public sensitivity to cameras that cover public spaces. The
development of a strict usage policy will help ensure that the cameras are not used for live
monitoring, unless there is an active public safety emergency, such as a fire or active shooter
situation. This policy will be presented to City Council so the corresponding intent and use is
transparent and speaks to the goals of solving crimes and assisting victims.
4.7 Renewed Support for Community Police Review Board
and Human Rights Commission
Community policing is rooted in the idea that law enforcement must partner with the community
in a meaningful way in order to gain trust and legitimacy. The Community Police Review Board
(CPRB) has a unique role that serves to provide residents with a trusted forum to evaluate
grievances and concerns with the Police Department. While it is critical that the CPRB remain
neutral, the Police Department should be strong partners. A strong partnership begins with
appreciation, respect, and understanding of each other’s roles and commitment to work together
to serve the greater good of the community. The Police Department can help the CPRB do their
work by providing education and data both at the macro and micro levels of operations.
Additionally, a strong relationship and open lines of communication with the Police Department
will help the CPRB more effectively recommend relevant policy and practice improvements
proactively, rather than after an issue occurs or complaint is filed and investigated.
The CPRB is developing its own set of recommendations for the City Council to consider that
relates to their powers and ability to serve the public. The City Council should fully vet those
recommendations and consider the following recommendations as separate. The following staff
recommendations do not focus on the authority and powers of the CPRB, but rather on how the
Police Department can strengthen their relationship with the CPRB.
• Ensure the Police Chief attends each CPRB meeting and has an opportunity to provide
updates on Department operations and answer questions from board members. To
accomplish this recommendation, a Police Chief report can be added to the end of each CPRB
meeting agenda. As part of this agenda item, the Police Chief should consider introducing one
Department staff member to the CPRB and public. This would be an excellent opportunity to
build bridges by allowing CPRB members and the public a chance to learn more about the
men and women who serve the community.
RECOMMENDATION #22:
A public safety camera usage policy shall be developed before the installation of
previously approved cameras and should focus on investigations of serious crimes
and not surveillance activity.
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• Continue to share Department policy updates with the CPRB and seek their feedback for
further improvements. The Department should aim to submit at least one policy for review for
each regular CPRB meeting.
• The Police Department revised the monthly Use of Force reports submitted to the CPRB
beginning in October 2020. These enhanced reports should continue to be delivered monthly
and an annual Use of Force report should be submitted separately to the CPRB.
• Annually, the Police Chief should report to the CPRB on the Department’s compliance record
with the body camera and in-car video systems General Order. The compliance report should
focus on required monthly Supervisor checks, Use of Force checks, and Internal Affairs
complaints checks.
• For the past two Police Chief hiring processes, a member of the CPRB was invited to
participate in semi-finalist candidate interviews. Going forward the same opportunity should
be extended for participation in new Officer interviews and internal promotional processes.
• Lastly, the Police Department should extend all members of the CPRB an extensive
orientation process including a station tour, ride-along, data and policy overview and internal
investigation training session.
In addition to strengthening the relationship with the CPRB, the Police Department should seek
to partner more directly with the Iowa City Human Rights Commission (HRC). The HRC not only
consists of diverse Iowa Citians, but their mission focuses on ensuring all residents know their
rights and have equitable opportunities. A closer relationship with the HRC will provide unique
opportunities for the Police Department to build better understanding of and relationships with
diverse subsets of our community. Specifically, the Department should assign a Human Relations
Commission liaison to attend regular meetings. Furthermore, the Department should actively
participate in HRC outreach and special events throughout the year.
RECOMMENDATION #23:
The Police Department should renew its commitment to the Community Police
Review Board through regular Police Chief updates, staff introductions, frequent
policy reviews, enhanced Use of Force reporting, Body Cam compliance reporting
and a more extensive new board member orientation and internal investigation
training.
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4.8 City Advocacy
While there are many solutions that are within direct control of the City of Iowa City, numerous
efforts will require actions from other governing boards or partnerships with other governmental
agencies. In these situations. Iowa City should advocate for the sought-after solutions and work
to build coalitions that can influence the decision-makers.
The City Council established its 2021 Legislative Priorities for the State of Iowa in November 2020
(Appendix III). A number of priorities directly related to criminal justice reform and ending systemic
racism, were shared including:
Decriminalization of marijuana
According to an ACLU report based on law enforcement data, a Black person in Iowa is 7.3 times
more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana even though studies show Black and white
people use at about the same rate. Additionally, Iowa has the fifth-worst racial disparities involving
marijuana arrests of any state.
Marijuana possession, sale, and manufacture are regulated by both state and federal law. In Iowa,
marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance and possession is a simple misdemeanor. At
the state level, various proposals have been circulated in recent years to address Iowa’s strict
marijuana sentencing practices, but thus far these proposals have not advanced. Iowa City has
supported past decriminalization efforts and will continue to do so during the 2021 legislative
session.
The Johnson County Attorney’s Office currently operates a marijuana diversion program based
on prosecutorial discretion. Under the program, defendants who were found to possess less than
1.5 oz. of marijuana, show no evidence of distributing, are eligible for deferred judgement, and
free of other pending charges or forms of probation may complete a list of requirements to have
their case dismissed. The City supports this program and will continue to voice support if it is
expanded in the future.
Governor’s FOCUS Committee on Criminal Justice Reform Recommendations
The Governor charged the committee to make recommendations for building an unbiased criminal
justice system in Iowa in 2020. The committee includes representatives of law enforcement,
prosecutors, corrections officials, the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, the Commission of Latino Affairs,
and other agencies which advocate for communities of color.
RECOMMENDATION #24:
The Police Department should assign a liaison to the Human Rights Commission
and actively participate in their community education, recognition and outreach
events in order to build more understanding and connections with diverse
populations in the community.
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The recommendations released by the committee in the fall of 2020 include:
1. Require and automate data collection on race/ethnicity from law enforcement stops. Currently,
recording an individual’s race during traffic stops is not required by all law enforcement
agencies and it is often completed based on the Officer’s perception of the driver’s race. This
recommendation would seek uniformity through an automated method, such as embedding
voluntarily-provided self-identified race/ethnicity information into driver’s licenses and state
identification cards. This data would then be automatically recorded into the Department of
Transportation’s TraCS system that is currently used by Iowa law enforcement for traffic stop
data.
2. Analyze and study the resulting data and provide annual reports on the findings. The
committee has tasked a reformed state Justice and Community Policing Advisory Board with
developing and implementing the process for the automated data collection. Additionally, the
Board will annually analyze and report on this data and provide policy recommendations
related to the findings.
3. Adopt a statutory ban on disparate treatment in law enforcement activities and the delivery of
police services. Currently, racially discriminatory pretextual stops (as defined by the U.S.
Supreme Court and Iowa Supreme Court) are unconstitutional and prohibited, racial profiling
is statutorily banned in 16 states, and the U.S. Department of Justice banned federal law
enforcement from engaging in racial profiling. This committee recommends Iowa adopt a ban
on disparate treatment based on a person’s individual demographics, with violation the basis
for administrative personnel action and any civil remedies under state or federal law.
Specialty Courts
Specialty courts are designed to leverage relationships between courts and communities and
solve problems by addressing underlying needs that have contributed to an individual’s contact
with the justice system. Treatment teams include a judge, substance abuse treatment
professionals, attorneys, and non-profit agency providers. Effective specialty courts are a valuable
resource for jail diversion efforts.
Iowa currently has several mental health, substance abuse, and drug specialty courts which are
criminal courts only. This means the clients served must be criminal defendants or offenders. Due
to budget constraints, the Iowa judicial branch imposed a moratorium on the expansion of
specialty courts in 2017 and that moratorium is still under effect. For the existing specialty courts,
there is a significant lack of consistency in court operations as well as funding levels and
resources.
Locally, a committee of legislators, county staff, and service providers are working on establishing
the Sixth Judicial District Civil Mental Health Court, which would be the first civil specialty court in
Iowa. The court would be similar to Iowa’s existing criminal mental health courts and utilize best
practices from the Treatment Advocacy Center, but individuals would not need to be charged with
a crime in order to access the court and its services. The current State Court Administrator has
been supportive of this proposal, but outstanding matters to be addressed before moving forward
include acquiring accreditation, a lift of the moratorium on specialty courts, and adequate funding
levels to support the court and additional inpatient and outpatient treatment.
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Iowa City supports lifting the moratorium on specialty courts and increasing funding levels and
stability for specialty courts in Iowa.
Juvenile Court
Juvenile Court in Iowa is a specialized court that is involved primarily with Child in Need of
Assistance (CINA) proceedings and some juvenile delinquency cases in which defendants are
under the age of 18 at the time of committing a crime. If a juvenile defendant is found guilty of
committing a crime, the court will enter a dispositional order which could place the juvenile in a
detention center, state training school, residential treatment facility, or other out-of-home
placement, or could allow the juvenile to live at home while completing terms and conditions of
probation. Iowa also allows the Juvenile Court Services Department to review criminal charges
involving juveniles and resolve the criminal charge informally, before reaching Juvenile Court.
However, there are some criminal cases which the Juvenile Court does not handle even if the
defendant is under the age of 18. For example, some minor crimes such as violations of some
city or local ordinances, curfew and traffic violations, and certain simple misdemeanor violations
of the Iowa Code are only handled by the District Court system, without regard to the defendant’s
age.
The City supports an amendment to State Code which would grant jurisdiction to the Juvenile
Court for all violations committed by juveniles that would be simple misdemeanors if committed
by an adult. Some of these minor offenses such as tobacco possession, hunting and fishing
violations, and city curfew are currently prosecuted as simple misdemeanors even for defendants
under age 18, and such an early first contact point with the justice system disrupts a critical period
in the youth’s life for education and job skill training and contributes to the ‘cradle-to-prison
pipeline.’
Law Enforcement Vision for Equality Task Force
In June 2020, the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP and Iowa Police Chiefs Association (IPCA) partnered
to establish a joint equity task force to work towards unbiased policing in Iowa. ICPD staff
participated in the first joint NAACP-law enforcement work session, in which it joined five other
area law enforcement agencies in a Memorandum of Understanding to intercede if an Officer
observes another Officer engaged in unreasonable use of force.
This task force has also advanced the adoption of anti-biased policing ordinances by Iowa cities,
including the ordinance considered by Iowa City’s City Council. Additional ongoing and future
priorities of the task force which are supported by Iowa City include improvements to community
police review boards, changes to the review and release policies for body-worn cameras in cases
involving allegations of biased policing, increased implicit bias and cultural awareness training,
and encouraging officers to live in the communities they serve.
Statewide Data Collection
Several of the advocacy priorities outlined on this section depend upon consistent, uniform, and
quality data collection statewide. Some of the most critical data needs include:
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• Traffic Stop Disparities: The Iowa City Police Department was the first city in the state of
Iowa to voluntarily collect demographic data during traffic stops. Since 2006, Iowa City
has contracted with Dr. Christopher Barnum of St. Ambrose University to conduct an
annual Disproportionate Minority Contact Study of traffic stops. This information has been
critical for enabling the Police Department to make policy and practice changes to
eliminate the identified disparities. Additional state actions and resources would depend
on collection and analysis of more comprehensive, statewide data. Accordingly, Iowa City
supports the FOCUS Committee on Criminal Justice Reform’s recommendation for
uniform, automated traffic stop data collection.
• Review of citizen police review boards: Iowa City has had a Community Police Review
Board since 1997. Recently, many other cities in Iowa and across the nation have renewed
interest in developing a local review board for the first time or further expanding the scope
or authority of existing boards. As these initiatives advance, new challenges and new
solutions will undoubtedly arise. Iowa City supports a statewide analysis of community
police review boards to help identify gaps or needs for legislative policies that will improve
the oversight authority of these bodies.
The City will work with our elected delegation and our lobby consultant to effectively advocate for
these and other changes that align with the City Council strategic plan goals on race and equity.
State Law Prohibiting Race Based Calls
During one of the City Council’s Listening Post events in the fall of 2020, considerable attention
was given to all-too-frequent occurrences of the public calling 911 to report suspicious behavior
of minority individuals. These calls often prove to be baseless, with race playing a motivating
factor. An example call may be someone reporting suspicious behavior of three unknown Black
males walking down their street or hanging out in a neighborhood park. These calls often put
Police Officers in a difficult position as they must respond to all calls received, but the report lacks
any illegal behavior to warrant making contact with the individual(s). Police Officers currently use
their discretion on how best to respond, which could range from a simple drive by observation
without stopping or approaching the individual(s) for a conversation.
More awareness is needed on this issue and the community must become more educated and
accountable when making race-based calls for law enforcement with no reasonable basis for
suspecting an emergency or illegal behavior. A lawful prohibition on race-based calls would need
to occur at the State level of government. Per Iowa Code Section 718.6, making a false report to
the police or reporting the occurrence of a crime knowing the act did not occur, or calling 911
RECOMMENDATION #25:
City staff should work with our State elected delegation, contracted lobbyist and
partners such as the NAACP to pursue meaningful changes to the criminal justice
system that align with the City Council’s adopted 2021 legislative priorities
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knowing that it is not an emergency is a simple misdemeanor. This current code section does not
address situations in which race is a motivational factor in someone making the call. The State
would need to make an amendment to the false reporting or hate crimes provisions (or both) such
that racially motivated calls to police elevate the offense beyond a simple misdemeanor. This
simple act would not only create a stronger penalty but would also importantly send a message
and raise awareness to all Iowans. It should be noted that similar legislation has been passed or
is being considered by several states across the country.
Regional Community Police Review Board
One concept that is worthy of further exploration is a county-wide Community Police Review
Board. Currently, Iowa City and University Heights are the only two communities in the state of
Iowa with a Community Police Review Board. In wake of the renewed national focus on policing,
it is expected that other communities, both locally and across the State, will adopt similar civilian
oversight boards. While this is encouraging, it also could prove to be confusing and inefficient for
residents who do not often know the jurisdictional boundaries of communities or understand the
different governance structures of local law enforcement.
In Johnson County alone, there are four municipal law enforcement agencies in addition to the
University of Iowa Department of Public Safety and Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. One can
begin to imagine that if there were a similar number of oversight boards, all with unique policies
and procedures, it could make navigating the complaint process more confusing and difficult. In
addition to removing barriers for the public, a regional civilian oversight board could help achieve
many other goals. A regional board would allow external law enforcement agencies to conduct
initial investigations, as opposed to having the department that is the subject of the complaint
complete the initial investigation. For an affordable cost for each agency, an independent staff
person could be hired to assist complainants and monitor investigatory processes. The same staff
person could also more effectively lead public education efforts. We believe this concept merits
further review and discussion with the City Council’s elected peers in Johnson County.
RECOMMENDATION #26:
The City should work with its legislative delegation and professional associations
and stakeholder groups to introduce legislation at the State level that would explicitly
prohibit race-based calls to law enforcement when there is no emergency or criminal
activity and initiate a public service campaign to build awareness of this
phenomenon and eliminate race-based calls.
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Outcome Oriented: Policing Forward
Successful implementation of a plan to restructure the Police Department will depend on our
courage to pursue unique and innovative solutions to meet the challenges in our community. This
might be characterized as “policing forward,” or using unconventional but proactive strategies to
embody a more modernized interpretation of public safety. We should approach the future of
policing and public safety with a renewed emphasis on equity advancements, data capabilities,
and forward-thinking communication and service delivery methods.
4.9 Employee Recruitment, Wellness, and Community
Service
The Iowa City Police Department has long been able to recruit Officers of strong character with a
desire to serve the community at the highest of levels. Nationally, recruitment into the police field
has become more challenging over the past decade. This challenge has also presented itself
locally, which has been evident in reduced applicant numbers for the Iowa City Police Department
and other area law enforcement agencies. It is imperative moving forward that the Department do
all it can to attract the highest quality, diverse applicant pool it can to serve our growing
community.
In addition to a strong focus on recruitment, the City must take steps to ensure that the high
stressors of the position do not negatively impact the ability of our current Officers to perform their
job. Officer wellness is more important now than ever before. Ensuring our Officers have a strong
support system and wellness resources will help make sure they are in a position to perform to
the best of their ability.
Officer Recruitment
With Police Officer application numbers down nationally and very low unemployment rates locally,
the City must seek every opportunity to recruit individuals with a strong desire to serve the public
through community policing. Some individuals have an interest in public safety but need additional
information on the career. Others are individuals who may have never even considered a career
in law enforcement because they are not used to seeing Officers who look like them. These
RECOMMENDATION #27:
The City Council should consider conversations with other local elected officials to
gauge interest in the formation of a regional Community Police Review Board that
can replace those already in place or under consideration in individual municipalities
within Johnson County
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individuals must be engaged in recruitment processes well before the next Police Officer testing
process even commences.
For the last several years the Department has offered a variety of internships opportunities. The
Iowa City Police Department has partnered with several area colleges including the University of
Iowa, Kirkwood Community College, and Mt. Mercy University, as well as out-of-state institutions,
to provide criminal justice students with patrol internships that help fulfill academic program
requirements. The internships run for a semester and introduce the student to municipal law
enforcement through observations obtained on ride-a-longs and assisting in non-sworn divisions
like Records and Animal Services.
In 2019, the Department began offering month-long internships to members of under-represented
communities interested in a career in criminal justice. These are abbreviated patrol internships
where insight is gained through ride-a-longs and observation of policing activities. The
Department has specifically reached out to members of minority communities for these
opportunities.
Internships are an excellent opportunity to expose those with an interest in law enforcement to
the realities of the day-to-day work. Ideally, those who find success in the internship will eventually
apply, test, and be hired for a position in the Department. However, the infrequency of hiring
sometimes means that these good candidates will find employment with another Department
sooner than a position becomes open in the Iowa City Police Department. Thus, it is important to
try to establish a strong pipeline of candidates, often beyond what you can produce through limited
internship programs.
The City should consider creating a local public safety apprenticeship program that can help
bolster the number and diversity of candidates for several different positions. While this type of
program could be structured to focus solely on Police Officer recruitment, there are likely several
benefits to expanding it to include Firefighters and some Public Works positions, such as utility
workers, where recruitment historically been historically difficult. This program would be a large
undertaking for the City and may require dedicated staff and/or funding partnerships with external
organizations.
An apprenticeship program can take a variety of forms, but likely would include a stipend of some
form for those participating in the program. Program participants would not only learn about the
public safety positions but would also help to prepare for the application process and any
certifications that may be required upon hire. Participants could perform limited duties in their
areas of interest and may also be required as part of the program to perform community service.
Those successfully completing the program should have an advantage in the application process
and the City will gain valuable insight into their work ethic, interpersonal skills, and public service
commitment.
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Enhanced Applicant Testing Support
While initial Police Officer application numbers may meet targets, many exit the process due to
failure to satisfactorily complete the written or physical testing requirements. The Department
should explore ways to ensure that those testing are adequately prepared for the various steps
in the hiring process. In the past, the Department has placed study guides at the Iowa City Public
Library and in the Human Resources Office at City Hall. However, those were rarely, if ever, used,
which suggests that a more personal touch may be needed.
A candidate open house is one way to engage interested individuals and provide guidance for
them in how best to prepare for the testing process. This type of open house, which is used in
Ann Arbor, Michigan and other Police Departments across the country, can also make critical
connections between active officers and applicants. Those connections can help build confidence
and a greater desire to serve the public through law enforcement. If there was a demand, a series
of open houses could be offered with an emphasis on various testing procedures at each session.
While open houses can help provide direct mentoring for the written portions of the recruitment
process, they are limited in what they can do to support the physical components of the test. In
the weeks and months leading up to the physical test date, the Department can host “run with
your recruiter” events. Departments like the Houston, Texas Police Department have used these
opportunities to help get candidates in shape and put them at ease on testing day. This would
also allow for Officers to feel involved in the hiring process and allow candidates to explore law
enforcement topics with future coworkers.
RECOMMENDATION #28:
The City should explore the creation of a local public safety apprenticeship program
to bolster efforts to increase the number and diversity of applicants for a variety of
public safety positions including police officer, firefighter, and some public works
positions. The program would pay a stipend to participants, who would learn critical
skills and perform limited duties and community service
RECOMMENDATION #29:
The City should implement written and physical testing support programs that
minimize barriers to successful testing and increase the number and diversity of
candidates eligible for hire by the Department
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Officer Well-Being
An increasing amount of focus nationwide is centering on Officer well-being. Officers experiencing
their own trauma and crisis from work-related experiences are not able to perform at their peak
and may be more prone to making poor decisions in the field. Making sure Officers get the support
they need to work through stress will translate to higher performance and better decision-making
on the streets.
In recent years, the Iowa City Police Department created a Peer Support Team. This team of
sworn and civilian employees provides confidential assistance and outreach to Iowa City Police
Department personnel, as well as their families, who may be experiencing personal and/or
professional crisis. If these problems are identified at an early stage, they are more likely to be
successfully treated or resolved. Examples of common problems in law enforcement are
relationship problems, substance abuse, suicide, and psychological symptoms that may be
caused by or worsened by stress related to the profession. Members of the Peer Support Team
are not psychologists but have received training to make them more effective when offering
support, guidance, and referral to professional and/or community resources. Two of the members
have been trained to hold group debriefs after critical incidents for employees. Three members
have received executive level peer support training. In addition to the Peer Support Team, Officers
can utilize the previously described Chaplain Program for support.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Certified Mental
Health Evaluations
Police Officers that encounter disturbing, graphic situations often need specialized assistance to
help process such experiences. While the City has wellness resources, including an employee
assistance program, Officers often need a more specialized service. One increasing popular
therapy with first responders is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR
is an integrative therapeutic approach for dealing with distressing memories. EMDR certified
professionals can help Officers process negative memories associated with their work and help
them move forward with comfort in continuing to serve the public in their policing role. The City
should explore partnerships with EMDR certified professionals and cover the expense for initial
Officer consultations with subsequent visits being applied to individual health insurance plans.
The City-paid initial consultation will help eliminate barriers for Officers to seek this service.
Through increasing utilization rates, the City will be taking steps to ensure our employees are well
cared for and are able to perform to the best of their abilities.
RECOMMENDATION #30:
The City should seek partnerships with EMDR certified professionals and cover the
expense for initial Officer consultations in order to reduce barriers to this service and
ensure Officers have needed resources to process distressing memories and
perform at the best of their abilities
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Pilot Program: Mandatory Community Service
Iowa City Police Officers have a strong ethic toward community service. As a group, they
collectively support local charities throughout the year. Individually, Officers have been known to
personally assist people in need that they come across in their daily duties. Many also volunteer
and contribute to the community through service with non-profits, schools, and extra-curricular
youth activities. The benefits of community service go well beyond the individual act of
volunteering. In high stress work, such volunteerism can help keep Officers grounded and relieve
anxiety while simultaneously building important connections in the community.
The City should explore a mandatory community service requirement for existing Officers that
would take place on-shift and allow them to pursue their own passions and interests by partnering
with an Iowa City based non-profit agency. This program could be as simple as requiring a couple
of hours of shift time each month or could be more elaborate with an identified community service
project that occurs throughout the year. Exploration of this pilot program would require
discussions with Police Administration and the Police Labor Relations Organization of Iowa City.
4.10 Public Data and Communications
It is increasingly important for law enforcement agencies to collect, analyze, publish and
communicate information about its operations and the public safety trends in the community. The
Iowa City Police Department has historically relied on specialty Officer positions and other sworn
staff to manage data and perform communication duties. The personnel completing these duties
often have competing public safety or management responsibilities. This often leads to the de-
prioritization of data analyzation and non-urgent messaging.
As previously described, the community has seen the positive impact of data collection efforts
through the Department’s Data Driven Justice Initiative the last several years. Because of the
successes of that effort, in 2020 the Department shifted one regular patrol position to a dedicated
Crime Analyst position. The Crime Analyst utilizes the analytical skills and organizational
capabilities developed during the Data Driven Justice Initiative. Responsibilities of the position
include regular reporting to Police Administration and City leadership on departmental activities,
development of customized and specific analysis and data visualizations, and providing
recommendations to improve various operational aspects of the department. To further public
reporting and accountability, the Crime Analyst will work with Police Administration on more
regular reporting to the public on departmental activities. This may include adding public
dashboards to the City website and participation in public data portals.
RECOMMENDATION #31:
The City should explore a pilot program that requires Officers to spend a portion of
shift time volunteering with an Iowa City based non-profit or working toward a
community service project
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The creation of the Crime Analyst position was an important step forward, but more attention is
needed for the Department to improve its reporting and communication to the community. To aid
this effort, it is recommended that a dedicated public safety communications position be added to
the City Manager’s Office, Communications Division. This position would be external to the Police
Department but work closely with the Department on public communication efforts. Its positioning
outside of the Police Department will provide more of a community perspective on needed
communication strategies. This position, while serving both the Police and Fire Departments, will
help improve social media messaging, enhance the Department’s website presence, improve
responsiveness with media and utilize other important communication platforms.
One of the initial efforts of the Public Safety Communications Specialist and Crime Analyst will be
to revamp the Department’s website. The current website contains some useful information, such
as links to annual reports and Department General Orders. However, it fails to clearly
communicate basic organizational and community safety information to the public. In addition to
Department policies and crime statistics, the website should communicate important information
that is provided to the Community Police Review Board (CPRB), such as complaint data and Use
of Force data. This information, while publicly reported to the CPRB, is largely inaccessible to the
public. One of the more critical topics on the current website is the Department’s ongoing
partnership with St. Ambrose University to analyze traffic stop data for disproportionality. While
study information is available on the website, it is not presented in a clear or transparent manner.
With the adoption of the final plan to restructure the Iowa City Police Department, the City should
completely rebuild its website content and make certain it clearly conveys up-to-date information
that speaks to how the Department is serving the public and making progress toward its mission
and the various recommendations of the plan.
RECOMMENDATION #32:
A Public Safety Communications Professional position should be created in the City
Manager’s Office to focus on improving transparency, responsiveness and proactive
messaging with the community
RECOMMENDATION #33:
With the adoption of the Final Plan, the City should commence an overhaul of the
Police Department’s website content and ensure it provides clear, transparent
information about policing operations and reports on progress towards its mission
and the various recommendations in the plan
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In addition to ensuring the website has up-to-date operations information, the Police Department
should explore participation in public data portals that are aimed to enhance a greater
understanding and accountability of law enforcement. One such public data portal is the Police
Data Initiative (www.policedatainitiative.org). This national effort has over 130 law enforcement
agencies currently participating. However, there are no agencies reporting from the state of Iowa.
These public portals not only promote transparency and accountability, but they often assist with
critical research efforts and the sharing of best practices that improve policing efforts for
participating agencies.
RECOMMENDATION #34:
The Iowa City Police Department should participate in the Police Data Initiative and
other similar public data portals that aim to enhance understanding of public safety data,
increase accountability and innovate through the sharing of best practices
Finally, it is important to recognize that a strong communication strategy is not only about sharing
information with the public. Equally as critical is making sure the Police Department is proactively
seeking opportunities to meet with and hear from the public about their views of the Department
and the community. Several of these efforts currently exist through Department outreach
activities, the accreditation process, the Community Police Review Board annual forum and other
events such as neighborhood association meetings.
In order to increase opportunities for the public to interact with leadership, the Department should
expand on the City Council’s listening posts from the fall of 2020. These sessions, which were
held in public parks, community centers, and online proved to be valuable and were appreciated
by the public. These efforts should continue to a minimum of four Police Department listening
posts per year that would be open to the public and held in different locations each time.
RECOMMENDATION #35:
Beginning in 2021, The Police Department should begin quarterly town hall style
listening posts with the public in alternating locations throughout the community
For several years, a City Manager’s Roundtable group has met on a monthly basis over lunch to
discuss equity issues in City operations. The group consists of approximately 15 to 20 community
leaders from various stakeholder groups such as the Center for Worker Justice, Black Voices
Project, Immigrant and Refugee Association and various faith-based organizations. This group
provides valuable feedback to City leaders on a variety of operational topics related to the City.
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The group has not met during the pandemic and there is an opportunity to restart in 2021 with a
renewed focus. To kick-off this new effort, the City Manager and Police Chief will utilize the
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights 2019 report entitled, “New Era of Public
Safety, A Guide to Fair, Safe and Effective Community Policing.” This document was
recommended to the City Manager’s Office by officials with the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP and
contains 12 chapters focusing on important policing issues such as bias-free policing, use of force,
the First Amendment, data and video footage, and more. At each meeting of the City Manager’s
Roundtable, the group can focus on a specific chapter or two and have open dialogue on current
Department practice and possible opportunities for enhancement of services.
RECOMMENDATION #36:
Reconvene the City Manager’s Roundtable in 2021 and initiate a review of the
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights 2019 report entitled, “New Era of
Public Safety, A Guide to Fair, Safe and Effective Community Policing”
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Funding Considerations:
Numerous components of this plan will require City investment, both in the short-term and the
long-term. Some of the costs are known at this time, such as new civilian responder partnerships
with non-profit partners including the Shelter House, CommUnity Crisis Services, and
Foundation2. Others, including the long-term expansion of Mobile Crisis and integration into the
dispatch system are not as easily identifiable right now and will require further research and
discussion with various partners in the community. This section of the plan shares perspectives
on various ways in which the City Council can pursue funding objectives outlined in this plan.
5.1 “Defund” Model
Across the country there have been calls for defunding police departments and diverting
allocations of funds to non-police related causes such as social service efforts. As previously
noted in this document, approximately 86% of the Police Department’s budget is tied to wages
and benefits of both sworn and civilian positions. As with most City departments, the Police
Department is inherently a very labor-intensive operation. Thus, in any scenario, a significant
reduction of the Department budget will necessarily require the elimination of sworn and/or civilian
positions.
As the staffing numbers in this document illustrate, Iowa City Police Department is already a
comparatively lean operation. No regular Patrol Officer positions have been added since 2010,
despite robust community growth and increases in calls for service. Specialty community policing,
investigative and civilian positions have been added in moderation to further the Council’s
strategic plan goals and improve core services, such as Animal Services, to the community.
Those positions have paid great dividends, but again have not translated to increased patrol
operations on the streets of Iowa City over the past decade.
With additional community growth expected, and in recognition of increasing calls for service and
crimes involving weapons, the City should be extremely cautious when considering any type of
immediate defunding scenario. The ramifications on our ability to carry out core public safety
responsibilities as a local government could be significant and have negative consequences for
our residents and community. Instead, the City should commit to the recommendations in this
plan with the goal of reducing the occurrence of calls for service. With success of this approach,
the City should be able to slow or stem the need to add additional patrol staff over the long-term.
Any new financial resources, whether through new revenue sources or through property tax base
growth, can then responsibly be diverted to other needs in the community.
This has essentially been the City’s practice over the last decade and intentional budget
commitments to social services and community building have been prioritized over expanding
Iowa City’s patrol operations. While overall City budget resources have increased with tax base
growth, the Police Department budget has remained fairly status quo with an average annual
increase of 3.6%. Meanwhile, increases in budget capacity have resulted in millions of dollars
being deployed for Council initiatives, such as the creation of an Affordable Housing Fund,
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creation of a Climate Action Division, increasing the minimum wage, increasing aid to non-profits,
funding new bike and park master plan projects, launching a Bookmobile service, and important
one-time capital investments such as the $2.5 million GuideLink Center contribution.
5.2 Increased Property Tax Support
The City Council can explore expanded use of property tax levies to support growth in operations
that support the recommendations of this plan. A one-cent increase in the property tax rate can
generate approximately $40,000. Council could choose to use the remaining three cent capacity
in the Emergency Levy, which would generate approximate $120,000. Similarly, expansion of the
Employee Benefits Levy may be able to be used to support some efforts. Given, (1) the City’s
decade long commitment to reducing our overall property tax rate in order to bring it more in line
with comparable communities, (2) our emphasis on affordable housing, and (3) the limited
remaining capacity in our Emergency Levy, a property tax solution is unlikely to be a popular or
ideal choice for supplemental funding.
5.3 Increased Utility Tax Support
State of Iowa law allows cities to pass, by ordinance, up to a 5% tax on gas and electric utilities.
Iowa City currently has a 1% utility tax that generates approximately $900,000 per year. Currently
those funds support our Fire Department operations, as well as roadway and rights-of-way
improvements in the community. The City Council can impose up to 4% more in additional utility
tax and can designate the funds for any purpose. While staff has not yet put forward any formal
recommendations for an increase in this tax, Council should be peripherally aware of the eventual
need for a revenue boost such as this to support the staffing needed when the City’s fifth fire
station opens. That leap in operations will require well over a million dollars in annual funding,
which will be difficult to achieve without a 1% boost in this revenue source.
5.4 Introduction of a Local Option Sales Tax (LOST)
Iowa City is the lone metropolitan area in the State of Iowa without a 1% Local Option Sales Tax
(LOST). The community passed a four-year LOST after the 2008 flood that aided the City in
completing the Gateway Project and expanding the South Wastewater Treatment Plant to allow
for the creation of the new Riverfront Crossings Park. A LOST requires 50% voter approval and
could generate upwards of $5-$10 million per year, depending on votes in neighboring
communities. State law requires that 50% of proceeds be dedicated to property tax relief. The
remaining balance can be spent in accordance with the approved ballot language.
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5.5 Recommendations for the upcoming FY 2022 Budget
The City Manager’s budget will be presented to the City Council in late December 2020 and will
be reviewed in the following months before the State of Iowa adoption deadline in March 2021.
Due to the financial uncertainties associated with the pandemic, the overall City budget will largely
be status quo. No new revenue sources or rate increases will be recommended given the
challenging financial situation that many households and businesses are currently navigating. The
recommended budget will include a modest reduction in the City’s property tax rate through
continued lowering of the debt service levy.
The Police Department budget will be held below its annual increase of 3.6% the department
averaged over the last decade. The recommendation will include an increase of 1.5 permanent
civilian positions and salary contributions to two new non-profit positions, including one at the
Shelter House and one at CommUnity Crisis Services. One new civilian supervisor position is
being recommended to take over much of the civilian operations that are currently managed by a
sworn Sergeant position. Through attrition, this vacant Sergeant position will be re-designated to
a specialty patrol position that works directly with CommUnity Crisis Center on bolstering
community and law enforcement usage of Mobile Crisis and co-responding with the new
CommUnity mental health position that is being funded in part by the East Central Mental Health
Region. The half-time addition of staff will be for a Community Outreach Assistant that focuses
solely on building relationships and improving services to the Immigrant and Refugee population
in Iowa City.
These internal and external staffing enhancements will help the Department make immediate
progress toward the goals of this plan. At the same time, the Police Department will not expand
sworn positions and the budget will increase less than 3.5% overall. Eighty-six percent of the
overall increase in the budget will be associated with the above-mentioned new positions,
increases in previously bargained staff salary and benefits, and state mandated pension
payments. Comparing the various divisions of the Department, the largest increases percentage-
wise in budgets will be Crime Prevention, Records, and Investigations. The largest division of the
Department, the Patrol Division, will see less than a 1% increase in overall budget.
The Police Department budget recommendation from the City Manager’s Office accomplishes
several key objectives for the City. First, it invests in key components of the preliminary plan,
particularly in the prevent, divert, and co-respond portions of the Crisis Calls for Service
Continuum. It creates new partnerships with local non-profits and bolsters our crime prevention
and outreach activities. Second, it does not expand sworn positions and keeps the overall budget
growth below the already low decade average. This means that substantial progress toward the
objectives of this plan can be made without identifying new revenue sources or raising taxes. At
the same time, current sworn staffing levels will be held in place to continue our effort to root out
the serious criminal activity in our community, particularly the concerning increases in crimes with
weapons that have been experienced the last two years. Lastly, outside of the Police Department
a civilian public safety communications position is being recommended to help increase proactive
messaging and build greater transparency.
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Final Recommendations
6.1 Review of Recommendations
This preliminary plan outlines 36 recommendations that staff believes can effectively accelerate
the Iowa City Police Department’s Community Policing commitment.
These recommendations are
rooted in unbiased policing, the
four categories of the Crisis Calls
for Service Continuum (Prevent,
Divert, Co-Respond and Stabilize
& Connect), and general
community policing principles that
promote meaningful community
partnerships, open
communication, equity, and
transparency within the
community.
A full list of the recommendations is provided below:
1. Pursue a Local Option Sales Tax that would in part bolster the annual Aid to Agencies
grant program and provide additional flexibility for strategic one-time investments in our
non-profit community
2. Partner with the Shelter House to jointly fund a new Street Outreach and Engagement
Specialist to be employed by the Shelter House and that would work in close cooperation
with the Iowa City Police Department to proactively connect individuals to services and
prevent police calls for service generated by the public
3. Create a half-time permanent civilian Community Outreach Assistant position that focuses
solely on outreach and engagement with Iowa City’s growing immigrant and refugee
population
4. The City should take an active role in marketing local crisis services to the public including
the 24/7/365 Mobile Crisis unit with the aim to increase the diversion of calls away from
the Police Department to trained mental health counselors
5. Following in the path of the Cross Park Place and GuideLink projects, the Iowa City Police
Department should work cooperatively with CommUnity and other local governments in
2021 to take a data driven justice approach to planning for expansion of the existing Mobile
Crisis service
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6. The City should convene stakeholders from the mental health region, CommUnity Mobile
Crisis team, and Joint Emergency Communication Center staff and board to discuss
integration of Mobile Crisis services into the 911 dispatch process
7. The Police Department should conduct a comprehensive, data-driven review of the civilian
Community Service Officer position and determine if those civilian positions can safely
divert duties from sworn staff
8. The City Council should determine if they wish to revisit the concept of automated traffic
enforcement. If the technology is something the City Council wants to explore, direction
should be provided to staff on what information is desired to make an informed decision
9. The City Council and Iowa City Police Department should join Foundation 2 and
CommUnity Crisis Services in developing and implementing a co-response team that pairs
a specially trained Police Officer with a CommUnity Mobile Crisis mental health
professional. The program will be funded in partnership with the East Central Mental
Health Region and will include a new Police Officer specialty position that will be
accommodated through a reduction in one Sergeant position.
10. The Iowa City Police Department should continue to ensure that all Officers receive initial
Crisis Intervention Training and subsequent continuing education in de-escalation
techniques. The Department shall continue to encourage personnel to obtain CIT
instructor certification
11. The Iowa City Police Department should partner with the Iowa Department of Public
Health to begin carrying Narcan to better assist those experiencing an opioid overdose
when no medical professional is on scene to assume such care.
12. The Iowa City Police Department should move forward with implementation of the
Coordinate Assess Respond Engage (CARE) reporting tool to better inform Officer
response and training, as well as to increase efforts to expand and automate referrals to
local service providers
13. The Police Chief should designate a command staff team to analyze the Department’s
usage of the GuideLink Center and to actively participate in ongoing intergovernmental
evaluation and planning efforts to explore how the facility can best meet the changing
needs of our community
14. The Victim Services Coordinator should engage in regular meetings with local service
providers for the purpose of continually evaluating how the Iowa City Police Department
can best utilize the professionals in those organizations to support victims experiencing
trauma and crisis
15. The Iowa City Police Department should conduct a comprehensive review of its Field
Training program for Probationary Officers and partner with the community to expand
training on the history of policing, past and ongoing disproportionate impacts on minority
communities, steps Officers can take in their daily duties to be unbiased and anti-racist,
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crisis intervention, de-escalation and awareness of existing prevention and diversion
resources in the community
16. The Police Department should actively pursue the Georgetown Innovative Policing
Program’s Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training with the goal of
preparing officers to intervene to prevent harm and create a culture of peer intervention
17. Community-led training opportunities should become an increased focus for the
Department, especially on the topic of race. The Department should actively pursue
several community-led trainings in partnership with groups such as Black Voices Project,
NAACP, Immigrant and Refugee Association, University of Iowa Student Government and
University of Iowa Athletics
18. Iowa City should consider a civilian Accreditation Manager position that could bring a non-
law enforcement perspective to police policy development and compliance review efforts
19. The Police Department should strive to update all 36 General Orders scheduled for review
in 2021 with a racial impact lens and make necessary policy changes to eliminate racial
inequities in resulting outcomes
20. The City Council should adopt the Unbiased Policing Ordinance and the City should
actively advocate alongside the NAACP and other advocates for similar language to be
adopted into State law
21. The Police Department shall make permanent the prohibition on indiscriminate license
plate checking and initiation of traffic stops based on non-public safety secondary
violations after any modifications are considered after the initial 60-day review period
22. A public safety camera usage policy shall be developed before the installation of
previously approved cameras and should focus on investigations of serious crimes and
not surveillance activity
23. The Police Department should renew its commitment to the Community Police Review
Board through regular Police Chief updates, staff introductions, frequent policy reviews,
enhanced Use of Force reporting, Body Cam compliance reporting and a more extensive
new board member orientation and internal investigation training
24. The Police Department should assign a liaison to the Human Rights Commission and
actively participate in their community education, recognition and outreach events in order
to build more understanding and connections with diverse populations in the community
25. City staff should work with our State elected delegation, contracted lobbyist and partners
such as the NAACP to pursue meaningful changes to the criminal justice system that align
with the City Council’s adopted 2021 legislative priorities
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26. The City should work with its legislative delegation and professional associations and
stakeholder groups to introduce legislation at the State level that would explicitly prohibit
race-based calls to law enforcement when there is no emergency or criminal activity
27. The City Council should consider conversations with other local elected officials to gauge
interest in the formation of a regional Community Police Review Board that can replace
those already in place or under consideration in individual municipalities within Johnson
County
28. The City should explore the creation of a local public safety apprenticeship program to
bolster efforts to increase the number and diversity of applicants for a variety of public
safety positions including police officer, firefighter and some public works positions. The
program would pay a stipend to participants, who would learn critical skills and perform
limited duties and community service
29. The City should implement written and physical testing support programs that minimize
barriers to successful testing and increase the number and diversity of candidates eligible
for hire by the Department
30. The City should seek partnerships with EMDR certified professionals and cover the
expense for initial Officer consultations in order to reduce barriers to this service and
ensure Officers have needed resources to process distressing memories and perform at
the best of their abilities
31. The City should explore a pilot program that requires Officers to spend a portion of shift
time volunteering with an Iowa City based non-profit or working toward a community
service project
32. A Public Safety Communications Professional position should be created in the City
Manager’s Office to focus on improving transparency, responsiveness and proactive
messaging with the community
33. With the adoption of the Final Plan, the City should commence an overhaul of the Police
Department’s website content and ensure it provides clear, transparent information about
policing operations and reports on progress towards its mission and the various
recommendations in the plan
34. The Iowa City Police Department should participate in the Police Data Initiative and other
similar public data portals that aim to enhance understanding of public safety data,
increase accountability and innovate through the sharing of best practices
35. Beginning in 2021, The Police Department should begin quarterly town hall style listening
posts with the public in alternating locations throughout the community
36. Reconvene the City Manager’s Roundtable in 2021 and initiate a review of the Leadership
Conference on Civil and Human Rights 2019 report entitled, “New Era of Public Safety, A
Guide to Fair, Safe and Effective Community Policing”
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6.2 Next Steps
This plan contains 36 recommendations, with some that are already underway by direction of the
City Manager and Interim Police Chief. Many of the recommendations have not been formally
pursued yet, but all of them could see progress in 2021 with support of the City Council and the
larger community.
While this Preliminary Plan was influenced by public input received, it deserves an opportunity to
be vetted by the larger community before final changes are made and adoption is considered.
With that in mind, the City Council is encouraged to delay adoption for several months and allow
the community to offer feedback. Specifically, the City Council should consider requesting
feedback from the Community Police Review Board and Human Rights Commission, in addition
to stakeholder groups and the general public. The preliminary plan has been made available on
the City’s website along with a public feedback mechanism.
In closing, it is imperative that the City Council welcomes forthcoming public feedback,
incorporates any changes or modifications, and shows strong support for the path forward. A clear
vision from our City Council, coupled with the trust in your staff to implement the various
recommendations, will ensure successful outcomes and help us retain our committed workforce
and continue to recruit the best candidates that will represent the future of the Iowa City Police
Department.
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Appendix I
City Council Resolution No. 20-159: Black Lives Matter and
Systemic Racism
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Appendix II
City Manager Memo: Community Policing Public Input
Summary
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Appendix III
History of the Iowa City Community Police Review Board
(October 2020)
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Appendix IV
Iowa City’s 2021 State of Iowa Legislative Priorities
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Appendix V
Case Studies on Community Policing
The City Council adopted Resolution 20-159, which included the following:
“By December 15, 2020, develop a preliminary plan to restructure the Iowa City Police
Department (ICPD) towards community policing, including, but not limited to, reduction of the
public’s reliance on police in non-violent situations through use of unarmed professionals, and
consideration of community policing initiatives in other cities, including, but not limited
to: Minneapolis, MN, Camden, NJ, Los Angeles, CA, and San Francisco, CA.”
The following case studies explore only the commitments and actions since the date of George
Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, with the exception of Camden, NJ and Eugene, OR, which have
previously implemented community policing programs that are of particular interest for this
resolution item. Each of the following cities had implemented varying levels of community policing
and police oversight measures prior to the period of time focused on in the following reviews.
Additionally, these case studies focus only on changes made at the municipal level and does not
expand into actions taken at a county or state level which may have resulted in additional changes
for cities (San Francisco, CA is the exception since it is a consolidated city and county).
A. Minneapolis, Minnesota
In response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of
Minneapolis police officers, a series of protests – which
later launched a global movement -- began in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul area. This included a three day
stretch in which protests escalated into violence before
reverting to peaceful demonstrations calling for action
and change.
City of Minneapolis Commitments
In June, the Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution which committed commencing a
“yearlong process of community engagement, research, and structural change to create a
transformative new model for cultivating safety in the community.” 1 The resolution also called for
a focus on equity, truth, and reconciliation processes and established a Future of Community
Safety Work Group comprised of staff from various city departments. The work group was tasked
with the following:
• Report to council by July 24, 2020 with a set of preliminary recommendations for
conducting an inclusive public engagement process for improving community safety.
1 From Minneapolis City Council, “Resolution Transforming Community Safety.”
Minneapolis Quick Stats
Population: 429,606
Officers per 1,000 Residents: 2.00
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• Regularly report to council with recommendations for policy changes, investments, and
partnerships which center a public health approach to community safety and support
alternatives to policing.
• Explore options for potentially creating a new City Department of Community Safety.
• Recommend strategies to transition work of MPD to alternative, more appropriate
responses and determine partnerships or investments that may be needed to do so.
Shortly after the protests began, nine City Councilors held a gathering in a public park where they
informally pledged to dismantle and defund the Minneapolis Police Department. However, several
news articles since this event have reported that some of these councilors have shifted their
perspective about this pledge and/or have confusion about what it meant.
Actions and Implemented Changes
In early June, City Council approved the terms of a temporary restraining order with the State of
Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which banned the use of chokeholds by police and
requires officers to report and intervene when they see unauthorized use of force by another
officer. The MPD already had a “duty to intervene” policy, but the city-mandated ban and
intervention ruling are enforceable in court since they were done in conjunction with state agency.
The new agreement also requires officers to radio their commander when a neck restraint or
chokehold is taking place on scene and further requires authorization from a police chief or
designated deputy chief to use crowd control like tear gas and rubber bullets.
Additionally, the MPD implemented a policy change which prohibits officers from reviewing body-
worn camera footage before writing policing reports involving the use of force. Instead, officers
must submit their initial reports for “critical incidents” without looking at body camera video. Other
MPD policy changes included requiring officers involved in an incident with use of force to file
their reports “as soon as practical” and denying officers the ability to speak to a union
representative about incidents while still on the scene (they retain their right to speak to legal
counsel and to talk to union representatives once back at headquarters).
In late June, the city council moved forward a proposal to put an amendment to the city charter
on the November 3, 2020 ballot which would replace the police department with a Department of
Community Safety and Violence Prevention.2 However, such a proposal must first be reviewed
and approved by the Charter Commission, and this body rejected the proposal for further study
since they did not feel they had adequate time to review at that the proposed amendment did not
meet several guidelines, including legal provisions and public input. Several council members
have expressed their plan to push for this amendment to be included on the ballot in 2021.
In July, council passed a resolution declaring racism a public health emergency in the City of
Minneapolis.3 The resolution called for actions to name, reverse, and repair harm done to BIPOC
residents, including a review of City policies and procedures by the Racial Equity Community
2 From Minneapolis City Council, “Ordinance pertaining to the creation of a new Charter Department to
provide for community safety and violence prevention, and the removal of the Police Department as a
Charter Department.”
3 From Minneapolis City Council, “Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Emergency in the City of
Minneapolis.”
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Advisory Commission; advocating for criminal justice reform measures; taking budget measures
to improve services, support, and opportunity for the BIPOC community; improving workplace
culture; and developing annual report with racially disaggregated data on the health of
Minneapolis BIPOC residents, including recommendations for actions to eliminate disparities and
overall health.
Councilors also voted to shift $1.1 million from the MPD budget to the Office of Violence
Prevention to fund an outreach imitative in which community members work as outreach workers
on neighborhood-specific teams, facilitating informal mediation, non-physical conflict resolution,
and de-escalation of potentially violent situations.
The MPD adopted additional policy changes in August including barring officers from shooting at
moving vehicles (unless safety is an issue), requiring officers to provide explanations every time
they unholster weapons, requiring officers to place anyone put into a hobble restraint on their
side, and requiring officers to use the minimal amount of force necessary to gain compliance. The
policy updates also included more explicit definitions of what constitutes resistance to police.
In August, the mayor of Minneapolis released a recommended budget for 2021, which included
hiring a diverse class of 28 Community Service Officers, diverting staff from MPD to 311 to handle
crime report-only calls, investing in accessible office space for the Office of Violence Prevention,
and investing in equitable, affordable housing and BIPOC businesses. The Minneapolis city
council is currently in the review and development phase of the budget process and is expected
to adopt the 2021 budget in December 2020.
In September, the city council’s Public Health & Safety Committee developed an outline for
expansive community engagement on how to improve the public safety system in Minneapolis. 4
The four-phased process is currently underway with council members gathering input from
surveys and public forums. City staff will gather all the input together and report to the council
members on the main takeaways in December, including a draft vision for consideration and
adoption by council. This will be followed by additional opportunities for public input and feedback.
The council plans to finalize recommendations for building a new public safety plan in midsummer,
2021.
Most recently, in October 2020, the Minneapolis city council approved a resolution establishing a
truth and reconciliation process for the City of Minneapolis. The resolution creates a working
group to explore and develop a recommended Truth & Reconciliation process and to provide a
report back on the proposed truth and reconciliation process and commission framework to the
Policy & Government Oversight Committee in January 2021. This initiative is being led by the
Division of Race & Equity, in collaboration with several other city departments.5
4 From the City of Minneapolis, “Office of Violence Prevention presents community engagement timeline
for transforming public safety work.” Sept. 29, 2020.
5 From Minneapolis City Council, “Resolution Establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Process for the City
of Minneapolis.”
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B. Camden, New Jersey
Nearly a decade prior to the national movement for police
reform after the death of George Floyd, Camden, New
Jersey had initiated their own policing overhaul. In 2013,
the city of Camden was plagued by some of the highest
crime rates in the country, including extremely high
homicide rates and a thriving open-air drug market. The
city wanted to combat these crime rates by putting more
officers on the street but could not afford to based on the union contracts and also had an issue
with internal corruption with existing officers.
Policing Changes
As a solution, the Camden mayor and city council dissolved the city’s police force and signed an
agreement with the county to provide shared services. The new force was not unionized, so
officers were paid much lower salaries and benefits and the city was able to afford more officers.
The new police department was double the size of the old one. After the transition, Camden had
about 53 officers for every 10,000 residents (comparatively, the national average at this time for
cities roughly the same size as Camden was approximately 17 officers per 10,000 residents). A
majority of the officers who were laid off in the transition were rehired, but each had to complete
a 50-page application, retake psychological testing, and go through an interview process.6
According to the FBI UCR data, Camden had 4.8 sworn officers per 1,000 residents in 2019,
compared to the national average of 2.8 for county agencies.7
All these additional officers were deployed to increase visibility in neighborhoods on foot patrol,
bike patrol, and in cruisers. There was an emphasis on hosting more community events, with
officers holding barbeques and hosting ice cream trucks and drive-in movies for the public.
Additionally, new officers were required to knock on the doors of homes in the neighborhood they
are assigned to, in order to introduce themselves and ask the neighbors what needs to be
improved.
In addition to doubling patrol, all officers received de-escalation training and body-worn cameras
and more cameras and devices to detect gunfire were installed throughout the city. 8 The
department also uses a mobile observation tower which extends 40 feet high and have equipped
some police cruisers with license plate readers that alert officers if known offenders are nearby. 9
6 From NPR, “Former Chief of Reformed Camden, N.J., Force: Police Need ‘consent of the People.’
Doubek, James. June 8, 2020.
7 From FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 2019 Crime in the U.S. Police Employee Data.
8 From Bloomberg Businessweek, “The City That Remade its Police Department.” Holder, Sarah. June 4,
2020.
9 From Governing, “Why Camden, N.J., the Murder Capital of the Country, Disbanded Its Police Force.”
Maciag, Mike. June 2014.
Camden Quick Stats
Population: 73,562
Officers per 1,000 residents: 4.78
238
Results
Since 2014, excessive force complaints have dropped by approximately 95% and the city saw a
steep decline in homicides.
However, following the city’s shift in their approach to policing, various news reports revealed the
increased police presence was uncomfortable for many residents as first. A report by the local
New Jersey ACLU showed a significant increase in low-level arrests and summonses.10 In
response to these concerns, the Police Chief announced measures would be taken to mitigate
these outcomes, but research conducted for this case study was not able to uncover details on
what those measures were.
Other news reports and criticisms from the New Jersey NAACP indicated that due to the changes
in policing, more officers now live outside city limits and are not as representative of the
community. Prior to the change, more than two-thirds of the department’s officers were minorities
and now minorities account for 43% of sworn officers and 95% of the city population.
Recent Changes
Following the death of George Floyd, protests in Camden were largely peaceful with officers
marching with the community. However, the local Black Lives Matter group still issued a set of
demands which included demilitarizing the police, removing officers from school districts, creating
a civilian police review board, confronting and eliminating racial bias, and providing de-escalation.
Research conducted for this case study did not uncover notable changes which resulted from
these demands.
Recently, the police department engaged in a data-sharing initiative to create a screening tool to
divert individuals who are frequently hospitalized and arrested away from the criminal justice
system.
10 From the ACLU, “Policing in Camden has Improved, but Concerns Remain.” May 18, 2015.
239
C. Los Angeles, California
Following demonstrations by Los Angeles community
members to demand law enforcement reforms, several initial
commitments were issued.
On June 3, 2020, several Los Angeles city council members
introduced a motion directing the Mayor and city staff to
identify at least $100 - $150 million of cuts to the LAPD
budget, for diversion to disadvantaged communities and communities of color.
That same day, the LAPD released a reform agenda which included expanding Community Safety
Partnership (CSP) sites, working with the public to accurately reflect and candidly describe the
history of the department for the public, a moratorium on new entries into the CalGang database,
an expansion of the Juvenile Diversion Program, advocating for change to the City Charter
regarding the discipline of officers, adopting a duty to intervene and report policy, support
independent prosecution for officers who engage in misconduct, train more officers in crisis
intervention training, train the entire department in de-escalation and crowd control, deliver
training in procedural justice and implicit bias, review effectiveness of early warning system for
problematic officer behavior in the Use of Force policy, identify additional oversight systems for
officers who have exhibited patterns of high-risk behavior, improve the department webpage, and
further analyze racial profiling data.11
Later in June, the Ad Hoc Police Reform Committee passed the following motions:
• Develop an unarmed model of crisis response that would divert non-violent calls for
service away from LAPD to the appropriate non-law enforcement agencies.
• Require independent oversight of an investigation into use of force by LAPD officers
against protesters in George Floyd demonstrations.
• Request staff report on options to make it illegal to use the 911 emergency system to
make a report, or cause a report to be made to law enforcement agencies, that an
"emergency or threat" exists when the call is motivated/based on racial bias, and the caller
knows that the report is false or frivolous.
• Equip all police officers with body-worn video cameras.
• Direct the LAPD to provide an overview of LAPD Special Orders related to the Use of
Force (Special Order 4), Body Worn Video Cameras (Special Order 12) and Digital In-Car
Video (Special Order 45) and related matters.
• Update use of force standards as related to the use of carotid holds.
• Analyze the LAPD's crowd control tactics and compliance with existing departmental
policies and legal mandates during the recent civil unrest and related matters.
11 From the L.A. Police Commission, “Demands for Law Enforcement Reform.” June 3, 2020.
Los Angeles Quick Stats
Population: 3,979,576
Officers per 1,000 residents: 2.51
240
• Investigate allegations of misconduct resulting from the LAPD’s response to recent
protests and report on what disciplinary actions will be imposed on any officers found to
have used excessive force against protesters or otherwise violated LAPD policies.
Actions and Implemented Changes
In June, the Los Angeles city council adopted a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis
and commitments to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in City operations and City hiring,
recruitment, and retention. 12
In July, the Los Angeles city council voted to reduce the LAPD budget by $150 million, which was
a cut of approximately 8% to the police’s discretionary budget of $1.86 billion. Most of this cut was
to sworn officer overtime and the council’s vote also reduced the authorized force of sworn officers
by 2.5% (from 10,009 to 9,757 by 2021). From the budget cut, $90 million is to be redirected to
programs serving marginalized communities, $10 million will go to a summer program promoting
youth employment and workforce development, and the remaining $50 million will go to reducing
city worker furloughs and mid-year budget adjustments. 13
The mayor also created a Community Safety Partnership Bureau within the LAPD to oversee and
expand the existing community safety program which places officers in neighborhoods for several
years to build relationships with the people they serve. The Bureau is led by a sworn deputy chief
partnered with a civilian commander. Additionally, the Police Commission announced a ban on
the carotid restraint control hold in both training and practice and directed permanent
discontinuation of the CalGang database. 14
Throughout September and October, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and the
Advisory Committee on Building Trust and Equity held a series of five community forums to hear
ideas and suggestions for police review. Staff also presented to city council a report on unarmed
models of crisis response and the council voted unanimously to have a chief administrator
develop an unarmed team to respond to nonviolent 911 calls in partnership with a nonprofit. The
mayor later announced a joint city-county partnership to launch a pilot model for unarmed crisis
response that will dispatch mental health workers to 911 calls for emergency assistance with
nonviolent situations. The pilot is set to launch in early 2021 and examined for one year.
Individuals in crisis will be transported to a location where they can be stabilized in a therapeutic
van designed to meet their needs and accompanied by clinicians who can provide support and
access to mental healthcare.
12 From the L.A. City Council, “Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis.”
13 From the City of Los Angeles, “Memo on reducing LAPD budget to reinvest into disadvantaged
communities and communities of color.” June 19, 2020.
14 From the LAPD, “Community Safety Partnership NR20151rc.” July 27, 2020.
241
D. San Francisco, California
Note: San Francisco is a consolidated city and county,
exercising the governmental powers of both a city (police
department) and a county (sheriff’s office) under
California law. In San Francisco, the Police Chief is
appointed by the Mayor and the Sheriff is an elected
position.
Initial Commitments
Following the death of George Floyd, the mayor of San Francisco announced priorities for police
reform in the City and County of San Francisco, which included:
• Directing the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) to establish an explicit policy
barring the use of military-grade weapons against unarmed civilians. This includes, but is
not limited to, chemical weapons such as tear gas, bayonets, and tanks. This plan calls
on SFPD to inventory and plan how to divest the Department of any such weapons
currently in their possession by the end of 2021, and to create safeguards to disconnect
the SFPD from federal grants for weapons of attack used against the community.
• Over the next year, developing a systematic response plan to improve direct connection
to community-based or City service providers, such as the CAHOOTS model of crisis
response or the Homeless Outreach Team or Street Medicine behavioral health
professionals. This plan will also reduce the need for armed police interventions in our
schools.
• Directing the Department of Human Resources, Department of Police Accountability, and
SFPD to identify and screen for indicators of bias, improve training systems, improve data
sharing across Departments, and strengthen the SFPD’s Early Intervention System for
use of force violations.
• Department of Human Resources auditing all SFPD and San Francisco Sheriff hiring and
promotional exams to incorporate state-of-the-art testing for bias and potential for abuse
of force. Moving forward, the SFPD and Police Commission will also strengthen the
affirmative duty to act policy and tie any violation to transparent disciplinary action.
• Directing the Department of Police Accountability to expand their focus beyond individual
instances of misconduct, using the Department’s chartered authority to evaluate patterns
and practice of bias within the SFPD.
• Divesting from law enforcement to support intentional investment of funds in programs
and organizations that serve communities that have been systematically harmed by past
City policies.
Actions and Implemented Changes
In early June, the SFPD announced they will stop the practice of releasing booking photos of
suspects to the media or allowing officers to post them online, in an effort to stop perpetuating
racial stereotypes. The only mugshots released will be limited to suspects who pose a threat to
the public or if officers need help locating a suspect or at-risk person. The policy also requires
approval from the police department’s public relations team before photos or information on a
San Francisco Quick Stats
Population: 881,549
Officers per 1,000 Residents: 2.56
242
person who is arrested is released. The Police Commission also passed a resolution requiring
the police department to put a large Black Lives Matter sign inside every district station to send
the message that all members of the community are safe to trust the police for help without being
prejudged based on the color of their skin.
In July, the Mayor unveiled a budget proposal to reduce the Police Budget by 6% over the next
two years (mostly achieved through not filling vacant positions and reducing overtime
expenditures) and redirect the funds to: 60% mental health, wellness, and homelessness
initiatives in the Black community, 35% education, youth development, and economic
opportunities, and 5% to develop a plan to replace officers with social workers as the main
responders to noncriminal calls involving the homeless and mentally ill.
The San Francisco Human Rights Commission facilitated a community engagement process with
members from the Black community on where to redistribute funds to from the SFPD budget,
which included a citywide survey, comment accepted via e-mail, and 13 public input meetings.
The HRC compiled a report in August of the public input findings.15 The HRC also released an
implementation plan for diversion of police funding, which included defining goals and priorities
based on public input in September, designing an RFP and benchmarks in October, releasing the
proposal by November, and with all submissions received by December and review and selection
(including public opportunity for input) before January 2021.
By August, Mayor announced the creation of a pilot program that will provide a team of non-law
enforcement to respond to behavioral health emergencies in San Francisco. Each Street Crisis
Response Team – a collaboration between the San Francisco Department of Public Health and
the San Francisco Fire Department – will include a community paramedic from the San Francisco
Fire Department, a behavioral health clinician, and a behavioral health peer from the Department
of Public Health. The pilot program began being implemented in October with the new, unarmed,
non-police teams are scheduled, at first, to take over police calls for code 800 – a broad, catch-
all category the police describe as behavioral health report. The hope is that these teams can
then expand into responding to welfare check calls for service. Other types of calls this team may
be able to take over are still under discussion.16
Additionally, the SFPD created a new unit called the Community Liaison Unit which will serve as
a liaison to San Francisco’s diverse communities, including the Asian and Pacific Islander, African
American, LGBTQ, Muslim, and Latino communities, communities with limited English
proficiency, and older residents. The unit is a team of five officers and will regularly attend
community meetings with an emphasis in getting to know the community well, building
partnerships and establishing trust, provide educational information to the community to prevent
individuals from becoming victims of crime and to encourage reporting, and coordinate
presentations and connect with the community with nonprofit agencies and other resources that
specifically address hate crimes and prejudice-based incidents.
15 From the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, “Investment of Funds to Support the Black
Community in San Francisco Input Status Update.” August 2020.
16 From NPR, “Removing Cops from Behavioral Crisis Calls: ‘We Need to Change the Model.” Westervelt,
Eric. Oct. 19, 2020.
243
The final 2020 – 2021 budget was also adopted in October, which included the mayor’s previous
proposals as well as redirects $7 million funding to support youth and their families and teachers
and schools and invests $4 million in additional funding for ongoing equity programming for the
community.
Finally, voters in San Francisco considered two measures on the November 3, 2020 ballot and
both initiatives passed by a simple majority. Proposition D creates the Sheriff’s Department
Oversight Board and the Sheriff’s Department Office of Inspector General and Proposition E
removes the mandatory police staffing level from the city’s charter. The latter shifts evaluation of
police staffing levels to a police commission and also ends a requirement that there are a specified
number of full-duty sworn officers assigned to neighborhood policing and patrol.
244
E. Eugene, Oregon
Beginning in 1989, a Eugene non-profit teamed up with the
local government to provide a unique solution for
responding to crisis calls. This program, Crisis Assistance
Helping Out on the Streets, or CAHOOTS has frequently
surfaced in conversations taking place in cities across the
country on police reform.
About CAHOOTS
CAHOOTS is administered by a nonprofit, the White Bird Clinic, and publicly funded by the
Eugene municipal government. CAHOOTS has a van on duty 24 hours a day and another
provides overlap coverage 7 hours a day. CAHOOTS calls come to Eugene’s 911 system or the
police non-emergency number and the dispatchers, who are trained to recognize non-violent
situations with a behavioral health component, decide whether to route the calls to the police or
to the CAHOOTS mental health professionals. The CAHOOTS team will respond, assess the
situation, and provide immediate stabilization in case of urgent medical need, psychological crisis,
assessment, information, referral, advocacy, and, when warranted, transportation to the next step
in treatment. There are deliberate and strict limits to the degree and duration of intervention and
CAHOOTS rules permit only a response to a present crisis, as opposed to something that involves
plans and forward arrangements. These limits were honed over decades of operation, unique to
the community needs and climate.17
CAHOOTS evolved out of a grassroots, non-profit initiative and still operates under a charter
mirroring these roots. According to the organization’s charter, no member can make more than
25% more than the lowest-paid employee’s wage (CAHOOTS responders currently earn $18 an
hour, but members are pressing to raise this hourly wage to $25). Since it is a consensus-based
organization for all decision-making, staff members must persuade all their colleagues their jobs
merit raises and then renegotiate contracts with local police department.
Results
In 2019, CAHOOTS handled 18,538 calls for service (the Eugene Police Department received
137,099).18 According to a report released by the EPD in August 2020 which provided an analysis
of the CAHOOTS program, it was estimated after a full and comprehensive study of calls that
CAHOOTS diversion rates are likely between ~5% to ~8% of all EPD calls for service. In 2019,
CAHOOTS called for backup from the EPD in 311 instances and “CODE 3 Cover”, or an
immediate police emergency response with lights and sirens, was needed in ~8% of the backup
calls. The report found that backup rates are higher in natures of calls that are traditionally
dispatched to police, such as criminal trespass.19
17 From the New York Review, “In Place of Police: The Oregon Experiment.” Varagur, Krithika. Sept. 18,
2020.
18 From the Eugene Police Department, CAHOOTS Information Page.
19 From Eugene Police Department Crime Analysis Unit, “CAHOOTS Program Analysis.” Aug. 21, 2020.
Eugene Quick Stats
Population: 172,622
Officers per 1,000 residents: 1.05
245
Recent Actions and Implemented Changes
On May 29th and 30th, protests in Eugene related to the death of George Floyd escalated into
incidents involving destruction to businesses and fires set in the streets. Following these events,
several use of force complaints were reported. In response to the protests, several Eugene
councilors released a statement committing to addressing systemic racism, directing the EPD
Police Auditor to investigate the protest incidents and complaints, and revising the EPD’s policy
on the use of chokeholds.20
In July, the Eugene City Council held two work sessions – one to review public safety funding and
a second focused on police policies. The outcomes of these work sessions included:
• Eugene City Council voted to set up workshops and a committee with communities of
color focused on changes in the way the police department operates. The workshops are
focused on the police budget and the committee on policy.
• The council also voted to form an ad hoc committee made up of police, civilians and
groups representing communities of color. The committee is designed to make
recommendations to the City Council by January 31, 2020. The city manager will be asked
to bring a funding strategy to the council to pay the committee members who will be paid
$15 per hour for meeting hours.
In November, this Police Policy Ad Hoc Committee asked for an extension to the original January
31st deadline until the end of March 2021. The committee also reported the four priority areas they
intend to focus on are limiting the use of force, hiring and training officers, creating community
oversight, and requiring body-worn cameras.
20 From the Eugene Mayor’s Office, “Statement from Eugene City Councilors Evans, Pryor, Semple,
Syrett, Yeh and Zelenka and Mayor Vinis regarding Black Lives Matter.” June 22, 2020.