The two-day appeal hearing for fired Cedar Rapids police officer Lucas Jones is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning. Both days of the hearing will begin at 9 a.m. and will be streamed on the city’s Facebook page. The three-member Civil Service Commission will hear from lawyers and witnesses via Zoom. Jones’s lawyer Skylar Limkemann and […]
Cedar Rapids Police Department
Posted inCOVID-19
Appeal hearing for fired Cedar Rapids police officer Lucas Jones will be ‘all virtual’
The Cedar Rapids Civil Service Commission voted on Friday to keep the appeal hearing for fired police officer Lucas Jones all virtual in light of increased cases of COVID-19 in Linn County. The two-day hearing is scheduled to begin on Sept. 22. The Cedar Rapids Police Department fired Jones in June for turning off a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Amid protests and change, Iowa police training on implicit bias varies
By Danielle Gehr, IowaWatch In 2015, the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy lacked training on implicit bias. As a cadet there then, Natasha Greene sought discussions on her own about some of the mistaken beliefs officers might hold of others, such as expecting a black person to be dangerous or more crime prone from stereotypes, ideas […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Local officials declare State of Emergency as more than 100,000 Linn County residents remain without power
Linn County residents continue to feel the impact of the derecho that moved through the state on Monday. The Linn County Board of Supervisors declared a State of Emergency for the county during its Wednesday meeting. Shortly after, Marion Mayor Nick Abou-Assaly announced a State of Emergency in Marion. Marion’s State of Emergency declaration is […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Jerry Burns sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Michelle Martinko in 1979
Jerry Burns, the man convicted earlier this year of first-degree murder in the 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, in addition to paying $150,000 in restitution to the Martinko family. His request for a new trial was also denied on Friday. “This moment has […]
Posted inCommunity/News
City of Cedar Rapids creates survey to get input from residents about citizens review board
The city of Cedar Rapids launched a survey for residents to provide input about a citizens review board and information about their interactions with the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Residents can take the 10-question survey through Aug. 31. The survey is online, but paper copies are also available. Anyone wanting a paper copy mailed to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Appeal hearing for fired Cedar Rapids police officer Lucas Jones delayed
The two-day appeal hearing for fired Cedar Rapids police officer Lucas Jones has been rescheduled, and will now start on Sept. 22 instead of Aug. 18, after lawyers for both sides filed a joint motion to delay the hearing in hopes of holding it in person instead of via videoconferencing. But the Cedar Rapids Civil […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Appeal hearing for fired Cedar Rapids Police officer Lucas Jones will be held online
The Cedar Rapids Civil Service Commission voted Friday morning to conduct the appeal hearing for former Cedar Rapids Police Officer Lucas Jones online and not partially in-person as previously discussed. The two-day hearing is scheduled to begin on Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. The Cedar Rapids Police Department fired Jones in June for turning off […]
Posted inCommunity/News
City of Cedar Rapids shares how public can get involved in creation of a citizen review board
City staff shared information during Tuesday’s Cedar Rapids City Council meeting about the 90-day process to create a citizen review board, including how the public can get involved, goals of the process and next steps. But residents who spoke after the presentation during the meeting’s public comment period raised concerns about how the work is […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Advocates for Social Justice outline 11 recommendations for a citizens review board in Cedar Rapids
The Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ) have published their research and recommendations for what a citizens review board should look like in Cedar Rapids and what should be kept in mind as it’s being established. The 18-page “Citizens Review Board Research Brief” discusses ASJ’s 11 recommendations, as well as how race needs to be “at […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Appeal hearing scheduled for fired Cedar Rapids Police officer Lucas Jones
The Cedar Rapids Civil Service Commission met virtually on Thursday to discuss details of the appeal hearing for former Cedar Rapids Police Officer Lucas Jones. A tentative date was set in August but decisions still need to be made on how and where the hearing will be held due to concerns about COVID-19. The Cedar […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fired Cedar Rapids officer Lucas Jones is appealing his termination
Former Cedar Rapids Police Department Sergeant Lucas Jones is moving forward with the appeal of his June 18 termination. CRPD spokesperson Greg Buelow confirmed to Little Village in an email on Wednesday that Jones’ attorney filed an appeal on his behalf on Thursday, July 2. Jones had announced his intention to file an appeal in […]
