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This week, a majority of the Cedar Rapids City Council decided to do away with the citizen police review board.
A new state law that forbade such boards in communities throughout the state, including Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Ames, Dubuque, and Iowa City, where a board was established in 1997 in reaction to Eric Shaw’s shooting by police, prompted the council’s decision.
Republicans advocated for the shortsighted and stupid repeal of review boards, claiming that they cause problems for police and draw media attention to officers’ behavior.
What comes next for Cedar Rapids is the question.
Community Development Director Jennifer Pratt informed the council, “We do want to reassure the council and the public that we are actively exploring alternatives which meet the needs of the community and the police department.”
We do not yet know what that alternative will be. In light of the 2020 death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, racial justice activists fought for a board, and city officials should not abandon them.
The review board handled resident complaints, offered policy recommendations, and promoted crucial communication between the police and the public. Officers could not be disciplined by the Cedar Rapids committee.
The committee was established in 2021 after much effort and difficult talks, guaranteeing that both police and civilians had a voice in the review board’s composition.
Cedar Rapids must now come up with a substitute that still educates the public and gives them a voice.
According to ASJ’s president and state representative Angel Ramirez, advocates for social justice, who spearheaded the establishment of the review board, think that portions of the city code that outlined the board’s responsibilities and structure might be preserved.
Parts of the policy that permit individuals to examine police department rules and data that are disclosed on a quarterly basis, for example, might be saved.
According to Ramirez, it would be excessively compliant with the law to remove the entire review board city code chapter. Nonetheless, ASJ is dedicated to creating fresh regulations that support community policing.
The city ought to spend some time to learn what the nation’s and the state’s communities are doing to advance. Cooperation is conceivable, and this is not a scenario that is specific to Cedar Rapids.
In an effort to encourage more community involvement that is not prohibited by law, the Iowa City police review board overwhelmingly decided to create a Chief Advisory Board. Cedar Rapids might want to take a look at that model.
No matter what strategy Cedar Rapids chooses, fostering deep community ties and upholding trust are crucial. It won’t be sufficient to claim that the state has you in a tight spot. A new approach that maintains community involvement, oversight, and confidence must be developed immediately and openly by city authorities.
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