Content warning: This article contains details of a police-involved shooting. The fatal shooting of a man by Cedar Rapids Police Department officers on April 6 was justified, according to a report issued on Monday by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Three CRPD officers fired their weapons at 39-year-old David Vanderhamm after Vanderhamm pointed the weapon […]
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Lawmakers advance bill to ban civilian police review boards and increase protections for police officers considered ‘unsuitable or unfit’
Republicans in the Iowa Legislature are advancing a bill that would eliminate civilian police review boards, and change civil service rules to make it harder for police chiefs to fire, suspend or demote officers they have determined to be “unsuitable or unfit” for their positions.
“Today we send a clear message to the brave men and women who put on their uniform every day, who stand on that thin, blue line,” Sen. Scott Webster, a Republican from Bettendorf, said during Monday’s floor debate on the bill in the Iowa Senate. “We have their back. We stand with them. We respect them.”
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Cedar Rapids Police release body-cam footage from fatal police shooting after protest
Shortly after noon on Thursday, the Cedar Rapids Police Department released body-camera footage of the fatal shooting of William Rich by CRPD officers on Aug. 30. The release of footage came two days after protesters marched from police headquarters to the Linn County Courthouse, demanding more information about the shooting. The CRPD video posted online […]
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‘A denial of history’: Bill restricting racism and sexism discussions in diversity training passed by Iowa House
After more than four and a half hours of floor discussion on Tuesday night, the Iowa House of Representatives voted along party lines to approve a bill that imposes restrictions on diversity training offered by any state or local government agency and prohibits any instruction in public schools or universities on certain “divisive concepts” related […]
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Jury acquits Des Moines Register reporter arrested while covering a protest last spring
A Polk County jury took less than two hours on Wednesday to acquit Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri of the two misdemeanor charges she was facing. The charges resulted from Sahouri’s May 2020 arrest by a Des Moines Police Department officer while she covering a Black Lives Matter protest. Sahouri had been charged with […]
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Republican lawmakers advance bill that cuts off state funding to any city that reduces its police budget
A bill that would halt state funding to any city or county that reduces the budget of its local law enforcement agency is making its way through the Iowa Senate and House of Representatives. SSB 1203, known in the House as HSB 230, was introduced last Thursday and approved by subcommittees in the both the […]
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Des Moines-area group stages ‘Back the Blue’ march in Iowa City
The Facebook post promoting the “Back the Blue” march in Iowa City on Friday evening said the event would have a “special guest” — it didn’t mention the tractor, or the bagpiper. But the approximately 75 people who gathered for the event marched from College Green Park to the Pentacrest, and back again, following a […]
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Iowa-Nebraska NAACP and the Iowa Police Chiefs Association launch a task force to examine police-community issues
The Iowa-Nebraska NAACP and the Iowa Police Chiefs Association (IPCA) announced the creation of a new statewide task force to work on improving relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. “It is undeniable that now is the time for improving law enforcement and community relationships. Those relationships are authenticated by transparent practices […]
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Iowa lawmakers unanimously pass a bill to address police violence
The Iowa legislature passed a major bill aimed at limiting violent police behavior, little more than two hours after it was introduced on Thursday evening. The bill was unanimously approved by committees and in floor votes in both the Iowa House of Representatives and Senate. “Too long have black mothers waited for their sons to […]
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ICPD Body Cameras: Here’s what we know
On Sept. 16, the Iowa City City Council approved $211,000 in funding for the Iowa City Police Department to purchase 84 body cameras — enough to cover the entire force. The use of officer-worn body cameras has become increasingly common in recent years, though rules and regulations stipulating their use varies widely across the country, […]
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ACLU report criticizes ‘excessive’ militarization of U.S. police
American police are usually using their tactical weapons and armor for drug raids, rather than hostage or active shooter situations, according to a new study. There are thousands of SWAT teams — “special weapons and tactics,” known locally as special response teams — across the country, including in Johnson County. The new report from the American Civil Liberties Union harshly criticizes their widespread use and calls for increased restrictions.
