Cedar Rapids police review board leaders recount first three years

CEDAR RAPIDS — A bill proposed this year in the Iowa Legislature — which a lawmaker pulled from further consideration this session — would have banned cities from creating citizen police review boards like Cedar Rapids did in 2021.

That provision would have affected panels in five Iowa cities including Iowa City, Coralville, University Heights and Dubuque.

The Cedar Rapids review board has nine members, appointed to the unpaid positions by the City Council. Three of them have been on the board since it was formed following protests after the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

The Gazette talked with two leaders of the board to check in on what the panel has been up to since it was created: Chair Arthur Kim, 46, a development officer for the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, and Vice Chair Aaron Eddy, 33, a staff attorney for Linn County Advocate Inc. Eddy is one of the three members who has been on the board since its inception.

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Q: What would you say are the top three or four things the Citizens Review Board has accomplished in the past three years?

Eddy: “When the Cedar Rapids Citizens Review Board was created, we didn't really have a playbook to follow. We didn't know where to start. So a lot of the progress we have made has been defining the boundaries of what we can do, and what we should be doing. First, our community engagement initiative has been successful. We have tabled at many local events spoken to neighborhood groups and the like. We have produced pamphlets and informed the public about what we do and who we are.

“Second, we have reviewed complaints from the public about the Cedar Rapids Police Department. In fiscal year 2023 we reviewed 22 complaints filed by community members regarding interactions they had with the Cedar Rapids Police Department. We have discussed various policies within the board and the policy committee is presently working on drafting a collection of proposed policy recommendations based on those complaints we have received.

“Third, and on a less concrete level, we have set parameters and precedent about how to function as a commission, laying the groundwork for future collaborative success between our board, the police and the public. We have a regular monthly meeting. We have three subcommittees to review our community engagement, policy and legal/ordinance structure respectively.”

Q: How do you feel the board has affected the community’s view of policing in Cedar Rapids?

Eddy: “I think the board has improved community relationships with the police department largely through community outreach at this juncture. Through handing out brochures and talking with people, I frequently see that people are surprised and encouraged that there is some degree of independent oversight of police interactions. There are many people that trust police officers wholeheartedly, but there is also a segment of the Cedar Rapids population, including people of color, that do not trust law enforcement. The existence of the review board is encouraging to those that don't trust law enforcement. At the end of the day this provides assurance to community members and ultimately makes policing safer.”

Q: How has the diversity of backgrounds and views reflected on the board influenced what you’ve been able to achieve?

Kim: “The city of Cedar Rapids is a diverse city with a multitude of voices, experiences and needs, many of which still feel marginalized. The Citizen Review Board takes very seriously the need to both seek out and listen intently to a variety of sometimes competing views. This board, as it is reflective of the city as whole, is not always the most comfortable space and the work that is being done is sometimes slow. However, everyone, regardless of differing viewpoints, recognizes the importance of the work and the need for all our citizens and officers to feel safe, know their voices are being heard.”

Eddy: “The city was sued for the race-based admission policy of the review board. I think it is important for this type of board to have a diversity of opinion and approaches to oversight. Different perspectives are very important to flesh out a policy recommendation, or raise concerns on behalf of different members of the community.”

Q: How has the board adapted in the past few years to the ongoing cultural shifts surrounding police work in America?

Eddy: “The idea of a review board in Cedar Rapids came partially as a response to protests regarding the death of George Floyd, and other community members seeking greater oversight of police officers, and that reality is unavoidable. There are also a lot of people in the community that do not approve of the Cedar Rapids Review board. On our page on the city website you can see the survey feedback from the community when the board was created. Many of the comments were positive but many were negative as well. The review board exists in an atmosphere where many are pro-police oversight, and many are against it.

“I like to think we can all agree that our community is safer, better and more efficient if members of the community feel safe and comfortable with law enforcement, and police officers feel safe while doing their jobs. That is the approach the Review Board has taken.”

Q: What was your experience like working with community members and other city leaders during the selection process for the new police chief?

Kim: “The Citizen Review Board had multiple members involved with the police chief selection process on a number of committees, both mandated by the CRB ordinance and as part of the community input efforts of the city. Throughout this process, CRB members and other stakeholder communities and organizations were involved in communicating exactly what the community was looking for in their new chief. Moving forward, we are excited to see how continued conversations both with the new chief and other community stakeholders furthers the improvement of policing in Cedar Rapids.”

Q: Are there any common, recurring topics that come up in the complaints the board reviews? If so, what are they?

Kim: “Police complaints that have been reviewed by the CRB have been varied, ranging from rudeness to allegations of misconduct. The CRB has taken every one of these complaints seriously and has actively looked for ways to work with the police and the public to ensure policing in Cedar Rapids is equitable and safe for all its officers and citizens alike.”

Q: How do you feel the community would be impacted if the Iowa Legislature had banned citizen police review boards?

Eddy: “I think legislators and lobbyists asking for review boards to be disbanded really didn't talk with anyone in Cedar Rapids. They allege removing the review board is good for police officers, but our previous Police Chief Wayne Jerman always spoke positively about the work of citizen oversight. Similarly, our new police chief spoke favorably about the Review Board during the selection process. Citizen oversight and the transparency of data from the CRPD lends credibility to the work of law enforcement, and in my opinion has improved the reputation of the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

“As to the allegation that the Review Board is ‘punitive’ to law enforcement, our organization does not have the power to punish anyone, we just make policy recommendations, which the chief is free to engage in discussion about or ignore entirely. The way our board is set up, we work with law enforcement liaisons during our meetings, not against them. Beyond that, we are exceptionally qualified based on our required training. Each new member is required to complete a 30-hour police training program. Then, an additional 10 hours of police training per year, and 16 hours of ride-alongs with on-duty law enforcement per year. We provide larger scale policy recommendations, and we engage in conversations with law enforcement to bring the community to the table, so policy is more approachable to the community.”

Q: What would you like to see the board achieve in coming years?

Kim: “Up to this point, the Citizen Review Board has been playing two roles in both looking at the work of policing in Cedar Rapids but also laying the groundwork for future iterations of this commission to be successful and effective in being a bridge between citizens and the police. Looking toward the future, the Citizen Review Board will be a vital resource both to law enforcement and to the public in ensuring continuous improvements in policing in our city.”

Eddy: “Right now we are working on drafting a set of policy proposals to engage with the Cedar Rapids Police Department after reviewing various police complaints. Our community engagement has been successful, and we hope those initiates will continue.”

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com