More than 8,700 arrests logged near Cedar Rapids elementary schools

CEDAR RAPIDS - In a study of arrests made within a half-mile of Cedar Rapids' public elementary schools, more than half occurred near Polk, Johnson and Taylor schools.

This doesn't mean the neighborhoods aren't safe, though.

“Johnson, Taylor and Polk are all situated in the city's higher concentration of population,” Cedar Rapids police Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said. “There are a lot of apartments and multifamily homes in those areas, too.”

A Gazette examination of arrest data found that there were 8,714 arrests within a half-mile radius of 24 elementary schools from Nov. 16, 2009, through Nov. 15, 2011. More than 14,000 arrests were made throughout the city in that time period.

According to the Police Department, most arrests near elementary schools come from traffic stops. Drivers were arrested for driving with a suspended license, driving under the influence or had a warrant out for their arrest.

Domestic abuse, trespassing and shoplifting also accounted for a high number of the arrests.

Four Cedar Rapids elementary schools are under consideration for possible school closure - Harrison, Madison, Monroe and Polk. Of these four, Polk had the highest number of nearby arrests - 2,513.

This also is the highest number for any of the district's 24 elementary schools, but Polk's location near First Avenue plays a big role in that total.

“You have all the activity on First Avenue and the traffic stops, and you will get a higher number of arrests,” Hamblin said.

Traffic is reduced significantly in the Harrison, Madison and Monroe neighborhoods.

“We don't have crosswalk violations at Madison Elementary School. On First Avenue, everybody walks,” she said.

Superintendent Dave Benson said these numbers don't play a role in determining what, if any, schools close at the end of the year.

“Our responsibility is to serve the children of the neighborhoods, whether they go to one school or another,” he said.

Mound View Neighborhood Association President Emily Meyer lives less than a block from Polk. She describes her neighborhood as a quiet area, where neighbors look out for each other.

“I've lived here since 2003,” Meyer said. “It's not an unsafe neighborhood.”

Ruth Hart echoes the sentiment. Hart, who moved to the neighborhood in June 2011, has a grandson at Polk.

“I can't speak for the school itself, but the times I've been there, it's been safe,” Hart said. “I see kids walking home from school, and no one looks scared.”

The association works closely with the Police Department to improve safety, as do other neighborhood associations in the city.

“I do know we have arrests in our neighborhood, and that's a good thing because that means the police are doing their job and people in the neighborhood are doing their job reporting activities that should be reported,” said Terry Bilsland, president of the Wellington Heights Neighborhood Association.

Johnson Elementary School, which is located within Wellington Heights, saw 2,238 arrests near the school. Also of note, however, is that the number of arrests in the neighborhood decreased from 506 in 2010 to 451 in 2011.

The school district partners with the Police Department, too, and Hamblin emphasizes that these arrests near schools did not put any students in danger.

“The police are very good about notifying school administrators of there is any incident during school hours, and we have safety measures in place,” said Mary Ellen Maske, the district's executive administrator for pre-K through eighth grade.

Safety measures include locked doors at the district's elementary and middle schools - visitors must be buzzed in to gain entrance - and security cameras.

Jefferson, Kennedy and Washington high schools have school resource officers on campus. These officers are responsible for the feeder middle schools, too.

Police officers aren't assigned to the district's elementary schools, but they make regular appearances through the department's Police PAL (Protect, Assist and Listen) Program. Hamblin said officers visit elementary classrooms at least twice a year, discussing safety protocols depending on the students' grade. Topics include walking home safely to online safety.

There's typically a police presence in elementary school neighborhoods before- and after-school, too.

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