Police trading cards show ‘human side’ of Iowa City Police

IOWA CITY - Among the Iowa City Police Department's 35 new trading cards, Sgt. Scott Gaarde's stands out.

Gaarde, the department's public information officer, is depicted holding a large tray of glazed doughnuts, an obvious reference to the stereotype about police and doughnuts. Gaarde said the card is a 'subtle jab” at law enforcement folklore.

'It's more of just a humorous approach more than anything,” he said. 'I think some people, when they think of police, they think of doughnuts and the other stigmas attached.”

Breaking down those stigmas and other barriers between the community and the police department is one of the motivations behind issuing the trading cards, a program started in the early 1990s by former Chief R.J. Winkelhake. It was born out of a desire to increase the department's community policing efforts. The cards went through several iterations, but a new set hasn't been issued since 2008.

Crime prevention officer Allan Mebus called the cards 'something fun.”

'Our world's too doggone serious right now,” he said. 'We're very fortunate we don't have the issues that other metro communities have. I think we have it pretty good here. Let's keep it going that way.”

This year's set has 35 cards, the largest ever done by the department. The cards showcase patrol officers, investigators, command staff, station masters, community service officers, animal control officers, and the department's two K9s. Involvement in the card program is voluntary, Mebus said.

'The only criteria is you want to have a little bit of fun,” he said. 'I want the card to reflect some aspect of your personality.”

The idea behind the cards is to give officers and the community an opportunity to interact outside of the normal realm, where police respond to a criminal complaint or call for service. The cards aren't just for children, though, Mebus said.

'I've had preschool kids all the way up to kids that are 80-something saying, ‘Do you have a police card,'” Mebus said. 'It's definitely a multigenerational way to say, ‘Hi, how are you doing?'”

Officers will be carrying their own cards and one card a week will be available at the front desk of the police department.

'That's 35 weeks of possible interactions,” Mebus said.

Gaarde praised the cards for helping to start conversations with people in the community.

'It's just an interesting way to show the human side of Iowa City police officers,” he said.