Uptown District along First Avenue in Cedar Rapids sees decline in crime

CEDAR RAPIDS — Before the Uptown District was formed 10 years ago, there were 'a lot of problems,' said Scott Crosby, owner of EnCompass Iowa LLC, an information technology services company located at 1420 First Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids.

Businesses in the district — generally defined as First Avenue between 10th and 20th streets east — often had their doors locked out of concerns for safety and security, he said.

Today, Crosby, who also serves as president of the Uptown District, paints a different picture. He said you can go up to any business during the day and not be met with a locked door.

'Things are much better now. Much, much better,' he said. 'It's a totally different atmosphere than it was 10 years ago.'

Crime statistics back that up.

According to Cedar Rapids police data for the district, offenses ranging from robberies and burglaries to drug offenses, vandalism and minor crimes like loitering and public intoxication all decreased between 2010 and 2016, the years for which data is available.

For instance:

l There were 28 assaults reported in the district in 2010. Last year, there were 10. 28,18,16,20,21,23,10

l Instances of vandalism and property damage were cut in half during that time, from 14 reports to seven. 14,11,12,7,6,9,7

l Reports of larceny and theft decreased from 143 in 2010 to 37 in 2016. 143,134,82,71,50,52,37

l Group B offenses — defined as crimes such as public intoxication, trespassing, loitering and drunken driving — dropped from 229 in 2010 to 108 last year. 229,234,193,206,167,160,108

l Total crime in the district has decreased from 523 reported offenses in 2010 to 235 in 2016. 523,479,381,391,288,285,235

Crime Decline

Cedar Rapids police Lt. Cory McGarvey, who has overseen the department's Central District — which includes the Uptown District — since 2013, said he believes there are several reasons for the drop in crime. First, Puff N Stuff, a tobacco outlet at 1545 First Ave. SE that McGarvey said was openly selling synthetic marijuana, was shut down after it was targeted in a federal synthetic marijuana raid in 2013.

McGarvey said Mission of Hope moving off First Avenue to 1700 B Ave. NE helped as well, though he doesn't blame the organization, which provides services to Cedar Rapids' homeless population.

'The Mission of Hope clientele, they're a vulnerable population,' McGarvey said. When you have a smoke shop 200 feet from Mission of Hope ... that's a problem for those Mission of Hope people.'

Finally, police and the SAFE-CR program addressed a problem property at 110 16th St. NE. McGarvey said the large house at that address was converted into a 12-unit apartment building.

'We had a massive number of calls for service there,' he said. 'Lots of ongoing problems.'

Amanda Grieder, coordinator of the SAFE-CR program, said police logged close to 170 hours at the property in 2013 and nearly 250 hours there in 2014.

'That's the true definition of a nuisance property,' Grieder said.

Eventually, it got to the point where the city was fining the owner for all of the police calls, prompting the owner to sell the property. The problems dropped off after that, McGarvey said. By 2015, police logged fewer than 32 hours at the property.

'The new owner is much better at screening his tenants,' McGarvey said. 'We're rarely there.'

McGarvey and Crosby also credit the addition of a police substation at 1501 First Ave. SE in late 2009 as a stabilizing presence. The substation moved to 1233 First Ave. SE, Suite F, earlier this year.

'In this case, I can tell you that those factors — just good old fashioned police work, moving in the substation, the creation of SAFE-CR — you put that all together, that is the main reason why crime went down,' McGarvey said. 'It continues to go down there. ... There's no more congregating on sidewalks. No one is getting high on K2.'

'Bringing People together'

Rod Pritchard, director of marking and public relations at Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE, and a founding member of the Uptown District board of directors, said board members have done their part to help in the neighborhood, as well. Pritchard said members meet monthly and communicate with the police department, as well as adjacent neighborhood association leaders, about what is happening in the district.

'We have done a good job of bringing people together,' Pritchard said.

Pritchard said Coe and Mount Mercy University students have also teamed up with the Mound View Neighborhood Association for a spring and fall cleanup day. This spring, 163 volunteers picked up 60 bags of trash, Pritchard said.

'It kind of goes back to the broken window theory,' he said. 'If things are cleaned up, residents tend to keep them cleaned up.'

Pritchard said all students are reminded at orientation that Coe College sits in an urban environment and they should take the appropriate precautions when they venture off campus.

'We've very pleased the crime situation is better,' he said. 'It certainly makes us feel better about our students being out in the neighborhoods and interacting in the neighborhoods.'

l Comments: (319) 398-8238; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com