Cedar Rapids Police Department (Iowa) Explained

The Cedar Rapids Police Department is the municipal police department for the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

History

Early historical records from the 1840s indicate that a lone constable served the Cedar Rapids population. By 1883, the Cedar Rapids Police Department had grown to 12 Police Officers. In 1948, the department completed an FM police radio installation which allowed all emergency services to communicate with each other.^[1]

Substation

The department has a substation located at 1233 1st Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The substation is also known as the Community Connections Resource Center and was opened in 2009. The substation serves as a space for police officers to complete reports and other duties, and is also used by employees of the Willis Dady Emergency Homeless shelter and for various community meetings and events.^[2]

November 2016 shooting by an officer

A traffic stop in which a Cedar Rapids Police Officer shot a man on November 1 gathered national attention.^[3] Officer Lucas Jones, shot and paralyzed a motorist, Jerime Mitchell, from the neck down.^[4] Upon a search of Mitchell's vehicle, 1lb of marijuana, $1,500 in cash, and scales were located. Police also reviewed Mitchell's cell phone records and discovered text messages in which he planned to sell the marijuana to a customer.^[5] Officer Jones has been cleared of any criminal charges by a grand jury.^[6]

Officers killed

In the history of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, six officers have been killed while on duty.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: History of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids Police Department. 16 December 2016.
2. Web site: Community Connections Resource Center. Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids Police Department. 16 December 2016.
3. Web site: Francis. Enjoli. Questions Linger After Dash-Cam Video of Man Being Shot by Cedar Rapids Police During Traffic Stop Is Released. ABC News. 16 December 2016.
4. Web site: No charges against Iowa police officer who paralyzed man in shooting. CBS News. CBS Interactive, Inc.. 16 December 2016.
5. Web site: Mehaffey. Trish. Police: Many attempts made to get statement from man shot by Cedar Rapids officer. The Gazette. 16 December 2016.
6. Web site: Dash cam of officer-involved shooting brings up many questions. KWWL News 7. 16 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220233814/http://www.kwwl.com/story/34019172/2016/12/09/dash-cam-of-officer-involved-shooting-brings-up-many-questions. 20 December 2016. dead.
7. Web site: Honoring All Fallen Members of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Officer Down Memorial Page. December 16, 2016.