Volume 13 | April 2019

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 and News

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, along with some news and information.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is celebrated April 14-20 and the Police Department appreciates the service of our Joint Communications Agency dispatch staff. All Cedar Rapids dispatchers are certified as emergency medical, police and fire dispatchers. They can provide pre-arrival medical instructions over the telephone. As information is collected from the caller, the call type is entered into the Computer Aided Dispatch system and simultaneously dispatched by the 911 operator or another dispatcher.

Investigator Sarah Lacina helped over 125 participants strengthen their mindset about their personal safety as part of a "Running, Jogging & Walking Survival Strategies" program held at the Cedar Rapids Public Library on April 4. The program was presented to help runners, joggers, and walkers learn various ways to stay safe and enjoy area trails and recreational areas. Investigator Lacina has been a Cedar Rapids Police Officer for 13 years. She is a defensive tactics instructor and was formerly a SWAT team member.

Animal Control Officer (ACO) Appreciation Week is April 14-20 and is designed to give recognition to the hard-working men and women of Animal Care and Control who risk their lives and devote huge amounts of personal time and resources to protecting the welfare of helpless animals from injury, disease and starvation, while promoting public safety.    You can also lend a hand volunteering, or make a donation to help care for the many homeless animals rescued by our community’s dedicated ACOs. Visit Animal Care & Control on Facebook .

The Police Department appreciates Linn County Public Health helping us receive a grant for CPR training equipment. All police officers are certified every two years in CPR and ongoing training is critical. Officers are often the first to arrive on emergency scenes and have saved many lives each year by utilizing their training. The Police Department received two new QVPR manikins from a Mission: Lifeline grant from the Iowa Department of Public Health . These manikins provide real-time CPR feedback to check how every learner is performing with feedback on depth, release, rate and ventilations.

In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the new national symbol for child abuse prevention through Pinwheels for Prevention. By its very nature, the pinwheel connotes whimsy and childlike notions. In essence, it has come to serve as the physical embodiment, or reminder, of the great childhoods we want for all children. The Police Department is supporting Pinwheels for Prevention by the placement of pinwheels along the visitor entrance sidewalk to the Police Station during the month of April. The pinwheel is the national symbol for the great childhoods all children deserve.

On March 29, the Cedar Rapids Police Protective Charity presented plaques to several individuals and businesses that supported the Charity with donations or services throughout 2018. Because of the generous support, the Police Protective Charity was able to help over 220 children with school supplies and winter necessities. Police officers and other police employees participate in a back-to-school and winter shopping events where children are paired with officers and purchase necessary supplies or clothing items. Learn more about the Cedar Rapids Police Protective Charity .

The Cedar Rapids Police Department would like to remind both motorists and bicyclists of important laws and safety information to ensure that motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are able to work together for safe usage of area roadways. Under Iowa law, bicyclists have a right to use the road and, at the same time, bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road as motorists. Bicyclists have the same rights and obligations as operators of motor vehicles including the responsibility to obey traffic signs and signals (including stop signs and red lights) and must use appropriate hand signals when turning.

Bicycle Safety and Traffic Laws Here are some safety tips and traffic law information: It is recommended that bicyclists wear a helmet. Bicyclists are allowed to use sidewalks within Cedar Rapids. However, bicyclists are not allowed to use the sidewalk in the business district of Cedar Rapids or anywhere that a “no sidewalk riding” sign is posted.   Bicyclists should ride as far to the right as safely possible.   For improved safety, bicyclists should make eye contact with drivers.  Bicyclists should be cautious for parked vehicles pulling into traffic or vehicle doors opening into their path. Drivers of motor vehicles should also look carefully before opening their car doors. Bicycles shall be equipped with red rear reflectors that can be visible from 300 feet away. If riding a bicycle between sunset and sunrise, the bicycle must display a lamp that emits white light visible from a distance of at least 300 feet from the front of the bicycle.  Motorists are required to pass a bicycle at a safe distance. It may be necessary for a motorist to slow down and wait to pass a bicyclist.   When in doubt, a motorist should yield to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Upcoming Events

The Eastern Iowa Heroin Initiative is sponsoring an Opioid Town Hall Meeting and Resource Fair on Thursday, April 18, 2019 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 5 th Avenue SE. The Resource Fair will be held from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in Beems Auditorium. The Opioid Town Hall Meeting will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in Whipple Auditorium. The Opioid Town Hall Meeting and Resource Fair is part of the Cedar Rapids Police Department’s commitment to preventing opioid abuse through a partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.   The Police Department will be participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a walk-up location at the Police Station, 505 1st Street SW and a drive-up location at Sunner Memorial Park, 701 Valor Way SW. Items accepted include prescriptions, vitamins, prescription ointments, pet medications, prescription patches, and over-the-counter medications. Items not accepted include needles, inhalers, aerosol cans, thermometers, lotions or liquids, and hydrogen peroxide. For more information, visit the Eastern Iowa Heroin Initiative .

Coffee with a Cop - April 24 On Wednesday, April 24, officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department and community members will come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships, and drink coffee. All community members are invited to attend. The event will run from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. on April 24 at Village Meat Market & Café, 92 16 th Avenue SW. Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the department’s work in Cedar Rapids neighborhoods.

Cedar Rapids Police Department Community Outreach Division | 319-286-5425 | Email | Website

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