Iowa City Council looking at what’s next in community policing plan

IOWA CITY — The Iowa City Police Department has implemented a majority of the recommendations outlined in a 2020 plan to restructure the department toward community policing.

Police Chief Dustin Liston this week told the City Council he is “really proud” of the progress made on the 36 recommendations in the last two and a half years. He said the plan is “just a start” and now is an opportunity for council to weigh in on next steps.

The recommendations focus on restructuring the police department by diverting calls for service from the police to trained civilians, creating a continuum of responses to mental health crisis calls, having unbiased policing and otherwise moving forward.

“I like to think of it as a live document that we can keep changing, and with your guidance, we're happy to try new things or work on new projects,” Liston said Tuesday.

The city describes community policing as a “philosophy that seeks to address the root causes of crime and build confidence in police through problem-solving strategies and police/community partnerships,” according to the plan. Community policing recognizes that law enforcement alone can’t solve complex societal problems.

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Council members at Tuesday’s work session focused their discussion on how the city can further support measures of preventing and diverting calls for service where police might not be necessary, such as mental health and other crisis calls. There will likely be future work session discussions continuing this conversation.

Council member Laura Bergus, who earlier this year proposed two failed amendments intended to shift funds from the department to the general reserve, said it’s “really, really powerful to see many of these things coming along.”

Bergus urged the council to set measurable goals for preventing and diverting calls for service and to explore how the city can continue this work, including further engaging with nonprofits and additional public education of other options besides calling police.

Liston said there is a “big opportunity” to reach individuals who might call the police frequently and aren’t aware of other options.

“We certainly don't want to discourage people from calling the police when they need to call the police, but for some people, that's the first thing they think of instead of calling a neighbor,” Liston said.

Progress highlights

City Manager Geoff Fruin provided an update to the council on the 36 recommendations in a city memo. A majority of the recommendations have been completed or represent a continuous efforts by the department. Some highlights include:

Initiatives to work on

At least five recommendations have not been completed. In the memo, Fruin explained some of the barriers or reasons why progress hasn’t been made, which includes state law changes, needing direction from council or looking to pursue the topic in the future.

An opportunity for growth is the recommendation about an increased focus on community-led training opportunities, especially on the topic of race, Fruin said.

Additionally, a recommendation that has not moved forward is the city exploring a pilot program that requires officers to spend time on their shift volunteering with a nonprofit. Fruin said the City Manager’s Office remains interested and will explore it more.

The department’s crime analyst position has not been filled since 2021, Fruin said. This position will help evaluate public data and build a dashboard on the city’s website. Liston said filling it would help provide information that can be used to guide next steps.

Fruin Police Restructuring ... by The Gazette

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