In an effort to comply with state law, the Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday voted 7-2 to advance a staff proposal to eliminate the section of the city’s municipal code outlining the makeup and responsibilities of the citizen review board.
Thousands took to the streets in 2020 to push for racial justice and equity, but area activists say the work didn’t stop there.
Advocates for Social Justice members are asking for the city of Cedar Rapids to lobby against a bill that would dismantle citizen review boards that provide oversight of local law enforcement like the one Cedar Rapids created in 2021.
The city of Cedar Rapids will pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit over a rule requiring that five of the nine-member board that provides oversight of police identify as people of color.
Employers, helping agencies will be at April 6 in Cedar Rapids event
Protesters outside the Cedar Rapids Police Department sought justice for Devonna Walker, a Cedar Rapids woman who died from a stabbing on Jan. 3.
The Cedar Rapids City Council took a first step to drop a rule requiring that five of the nine-member Citizen Review Board identify as people of color, but said they remain committed to appointing a diverse law enforcement oversight panel.
Cedar Rapids plans to eliminate a rule requiring that five of the nine-member Citizen Review Board identify as people of color after a federal judge blocked enforcement of this policy pending the outcome of a lawsuit alleging the rule is racially discriminatory.
There will be a clinic Saturday in Linn County where formerly incarcerated people can meet with a lawyer to get information about clearing their records, as well as find other resources, like job opportunities and help reinstating their voting rights.
Several Cedar Rapids organizations that serve people of color, women and youth voters are banding together to boost voter turnout and registration.
The board that provides oversight of local law enforcement has launched a public “Idea Wall.” Community members can respond to rotating questions during April and May to guide the board’s work.
Supervisors vote to have Advocates for Social Justice organize the event with Iowa Legal Aid.
A year after George Floyd’s death, two organizations that gained visibility took different tracks on the trail to their goals.
Members of the city’s new citizens’ police review board met for the first time Thursday and discussed their visions for promoting belonging and inclusion, and building bridges between the community and local police.
A mural highlighting social and racial justice would be installed on the Five Seasons Parking Ramp in the spring or fall.
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