The use of cameras by law enforcement to automatically scan license plates and record vehicle information in an online database was limited in Eastern Iowa just a few years ago. But in recent years, the cameras have become a hot button issue on city council agendas across Linn and Johnson counties.
The U.S. General Services Administration is looking to lease office space in Des Moines and several other cities across the country for “law enforcement operations.” Immigration advocates in Iowa fear that could mean an additional processing facility and detention center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
State and tribal law enforcement officers will be able to cross jurisdictional boundaries while pursuing fleeing suspects under a new legal agreement between the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Meskwaki Nation.
Lawyers for the family of an Iowa woman killed by her estranged husband say that had it not been for Bellevue police officers’ “deliberate refusal to enforce the law,” the woman would still be alive.
Marion residents were able to meet Wednesday evening with four candidates who the city has identified as candidates to fill the position of police chief, vacated by Chief Mike Kitsmiller when he retired in the spring. The candidate who is ultimately selected will lead the department of 48 sworn officers, 10 dispatchers and six civilian employees.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors earlier this week voted down a proposed budget amendment that would have increased the number of beds guaranteed to the county at the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center.
When Mike Tupper was co-chair of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, he was in charge of coordinating efforts with the National Immigration Forum to provide immigration-focused training opportunities to law enforcement agencies around the country and to advocate for immigration legislation at the national level.
The North Liberty Police Department has seen unusually high turnover in the last year. Since April 2024, more than two-thirds of its officers have resigned. Now, the department is working to rebuild, with emphasis on better communication and officer satisfaction.
At least six Iowa cities have them: Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Iowa City, University Heights, Dubuque and Ames. The law takes effect Aug. 16.
The Cedar Rapids Police Department recently finished installing 70 stationary license plate reader cameras, which scan license plates and run them through national crime databases to search for missing person alerts, stolen vehicle reports, and arrest warrants.
Also, Iowa lawmakers advanced a proposal to limit how often owners can raise rent in mobile home parks
The new legislation would make it a felony for any Iowa law enforcement officer who knowingly and intentionally fails to cooperate with federal immigration officials
State and local law enforcement officers in Iowa would have to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in apprehending and detaining individuals who are in the country illegally under a bill in the Iowa Legislature. Everyone who spoke at a subcommittee hearing Thursday was either opposed to the bill or undecided.
Also in the Campaign Almanac: Police leaders endorse Christina Bohannan in Iowa’s 1st District.
In April 2023, Toledo city officials publicly condemned one of its police officers, Kyle Howe, for multiple instances of excessive force. Five excessive-force lawsuits against the city and Howe are scheduled for trial next year.
© 2025 The Gazette | All Rights Reserved.
Daily Newsletters