Volume 7 | October 2018
Cedar Rapids Police Department
Monthly News and Information
Welcome to the Official Monthly Newsletter of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and continue to make Cedar Rapids a safe place to live, work, or visit.
Community Engagement
Thank you for the opportunity to connect with you through several activities and events over the past month. Here are highlights of a few of those events.
With several law enforcement lip sync videos on social media recently, the Police Department wanted to create a meaningful video that encourages our community to remember those whose lives were taken too soon and to work together to prevent violence. The video is available on our Facebook page . All of the victims honored in the video died as the result of violence in which a firearm was unlawfully used.. The performers, A’alyiah and Salena, are the cousins of Senquez Jackson, who was 15 years old when he was killed. Both young women are pursuing law enforcement careers.
The Police Department participated in KCRG TV-9's Coats for Kids drive again this year. Police Department employees donated 15 coats and 2 pairs of snow pants. These clothing items will be distributed to families in our community. Thousands of individuals in Eastern Iowa are in need of a warm winter coat. KCRG TV-9 and their Show You Care sponsors collect and distribute new and gently used coats each fall. All coats are cleaned by Citywide Cleaners and distributed to children who need them by area family service organizations and volunteers. For more information, please visit Coats for Kids .
Congratulations to the graduates of the 46th Basic Cedar Rapids Regional Police Academy.
The graduation ceremony was held at Ushers Ferry Historic Village Lodge on Wednesday, October 3rd.
Graduates included: Paul Cavin, Martin Green, Shawn Hagarty, Morgan Kukla, Deontrez Overstreet, Samuel Reiher, Nicholas Reinert, and Claire Woodthorp. The Cedar Rapids Regional Police Academy began on June 5th and concluded with the Graduation Ceremony on October 3rd. The Academy includes 18 weeks of basic training for police recruits. The Honorable Judge Linda Reade was the keynote speaker.
The Police Department conducted a bicycle patrol training session in mid-September and four police officers graduated from the program. The graduates included: Tyler Melchert, Austin Dellamuth, Benjamin Otis, and Mitchell Sheely. The department utilizes fully equipped Trek and Cannondale Police Mountain bikes. All bike patrol officers are certified as Police Cyclists. Program topics include bike nomenclature, legal issues, patrol tactics, maneuvers, and a 25-mile ride.

The Police Department participated in the African American Museum of Iowa History Makers Gala to honor African Americans who’ve made an indelible impact as a trailblazer, change agent, legacy maker or role model in their communities. The AAMI’s only fundraiser, the annual History Makers Gala attracts guests from all over Iowa. Proceeds benefit the AAMI’s efforts to carry out its mission to preserve, exhibit, and teach the African American heritage of Iowa.
Officers participated in the Jon Cushing Relay 4 Life 5K with Cedar Rapids Community School District Truman Elementary 5th graders. A couple of days before the race, Truman Elementary Physical Education teacher, Lisa Shaver, and some 5th graders stopped by the Police Station and dropped off race T-shirts and wristbands. Investigator Justin DeMoss showed the students how officers obtain and process fingerprints.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, there were nearly 350,000 imposter scam reports in the United States in 2017. Nearly 1 in 5 people who reported a scam lost money - a total of $328 million in losses.

To sign up for free scam alerts, visit www.ftc.gov/scams . To report a scam, use the Federal Trade Commission Complaint Assistant . If you are victim of a scam, please contact the Police Department.
How to Avoid Being the Victim of a Scam
The Police Department wants to help you avoid being the victim of a scam. Often a scammer will call a potential victim and pretend to be a loved one in trouble, a government official, someone from technical support or anybody else who's not who they say there are in an attempt to get your money.

* Law enforcement agencies will not call you on the phone to
inform you of an impending arrest, nor will they solicit
money from you over the phone.

* The Internal Revenue Service does not call you.

* Utility companies will not call and demand immediate
payment over the telephone.

Never send money or provide personal or financial information to someone that you don't know or someone that you have not personally verified their identity. Never trust your caller ID - technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information.
Upcoming Events
Trick-or-treat with the Cedar Rapids Police Department on Halloween! Stop by Sunner Memorial Park, 701 Valor Way SW, on Wednesday, October 31st between 4:00-6:00 p.m. for goodies and a free book. Quota International of Cedar Rapids is supplying the books for goblins and ghouls who stop by and visit with police officers. There is no official Halloween hours established by the City. We encourage parents and guardians to only go to homes of people that you know if you decide to trick-or-treat. Most residents turn on their lights and welcome trick-or-treaters between 5:00-8:00 p.m. on Halloween.

Join us for Coffee with a Cop ! The next opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the Police Department is scheduled for Thursday, November 15th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at Scooter's, 7037 C Avenue NE. The majority of contacts that law enforcement has with the public happen during emergencies, or emotional situations. Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building with the community, and some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the street . Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction.
Cedar Rapids Police Department Community Outreach Division | 319-286-5425 | Email | Website