[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6300047,"mediaKeyId","2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba","parentId",2493979,"title","Committee approves minutes and adjourns; no ordinance votes recorded","audioSeconds",3318,"startMs",168000,"endMs",3486000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba&start=168&end=3486","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba/thumbnail_168000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6300047/Cedar-Rapids/Linn-County/Iowa/Committee-approves-minutes-and-adjourns-no-ordinance-votes-recorded","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6300047-b001ea4451f769c802ef22768fd36380/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175406&Signature=A~BRrniHiucHm3QgJJc7bZ6~CuwkAvPsXn6bm5IdUdg2ajOfSy3xf44A9z2E7K-4smQEYmbRFYmnZ8IeAM3H89u8JKbN-y~pc6egT0hzG0pvxTx7QOboUT~lJuCDDWiHyxdgeH7MkSKDem4VVIUn6SpyVGyEQGtenKvUxsGcdgKXPYtAdY6DAnPzaako8b2XknaT5fcPBOHgiH9GyUymROGwgEFPOxSomWHO2F9NqqSVlo2MBhe8BKCejT1N9932KWnlhdv4jHhDsDVCkDPR0-0aG8kxRA-T1g3oLFpi2OXiSc-0WE0aOgEYQ9-srPCA-1BD9nzS9ciHlRrjOvbOJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cedar Rapids ","date","2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","article","At the start of the meeting a member moved “to approve the minutes from November 18,” and a second was recorded. The committee voice vote was recorded as “Aye.” Later, at the meeting’s end, a motion to adjourn was made, seconded and approved by voice vote with an “Aye.”

The nut graf: the session contained routine procedural votes to approve minutes and adjourn; the transcript does not show votes on ordinances, resolutions or contract awards during this meeting.

Details: the minutes approval motion was moved and seconded in the meeting’s opening exchange and received an affirmative voice vote. The adjournment motion likewise recorded an affirmative voice vote. No roll‑call tallies or recorded no/abstain votes were provided in the transcript for these motions.

Ending: Committee business concluded with the approval of minutes and adjournment; council members proceeded to other remarks and departmental presentations earlier in the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Cedar Rapids Public Safety and Youth Services Committee Meeting January 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee approved the November 18 minutes and later unanimously adjourned; no formal votes on ordinances, resolutions or contracts were recorded in the transcript.","taxTitle","Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa","taxId",4689,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6300052,"Parks & Recreation posts record programming, expands free and youth services",682,2263000,2945000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba&start=2263&end=2945","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba/thumbnail_2263000.jpg","/articles/6300052/Cedar-Rapids/Linn-County/Iowa/Parks-Recreation-posts-record-programming-expands-free-and-youth-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6300052-d6e4834d937d7ec81f3557e4ed22477f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175406&Signature=iqaAiNCqtiRRx1c2XqkNEZR~sYkjK5d86hJOPJ4kmMpIPddwNk3-kOYHkv5pSnzspuYkdCPJ43d1aNSrQeoXu2GsbyRW~wT-CreXDfGXClEhRDO8r0-Myjfmrkb9SL8yRuwqxQbollYeBB67RLdny1sglayH7aMvKQR~jMDPXIRPp6FDFwcbRRXVdujINmqjHfcfKxO10XNnONfPhR8CNSHBBmsuPyzTJQE6euBaVsPuxKCB4k6S4OFXOdXcP4wkFBFpy50FH7F0tCg5uaJggU9PJKzO8SsnSfCERrvddCri3eGXjDIeL5fE49pi8lz~xvVgQGcvi8vNCb~-4vrIFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tony Ireland, director of Parks and Recreation, presented a 2024 overview to the Public Safety and New Services Committee highlighting program growth, youth outreach and facility investments. “We offered 1,055 programs offered in 2024, that's about a 5% increase from calendar year '23,” Ireland said.

The nut graf: Parks & Rec said it expanded program offerings, provided more financial assistance for pool access, piloted a mobile skate‑stop program, and continued investments in capital maintenance such as a $200,000 refurbishment of Cherry Hill pool slides.

Ireland said total admissions, program participants and visitors exceeded 300,000 (he noted that some visitor counts are self‑reported and the true total may be higher). The department ran 141 new programs in 2024, more than half aimed at youth, and reported 1,117 people used the RecAssist financial assistance program — a roughly 10% increase from 2023 — with much of that assistance applied to pool passes.

Highlights included a free winter ice‑skating pilot at Hughes Park (providing free skates and trainers), an expanded free swim‑lesson partnership with six Cedar Rapids Community School District schools, and a “block and roll” trailer piloted for neighborhood events. Ireland said Old McDonald's Farm, Northwest Rec, Usher's Ferry and Special Olympics programming continued to draw steady attendance.

On facilities, Ireland said Cherry Hill pool slides received a roughly $200,000 refurbishment and that staffing and volunteer pipelines remain important: Parks & Rec employed about 350 seasonal staff in 2024, a significant portion of them youth and first‑job participants.

Ending: Council members praised Parks & Rec for broad outreach and asked staff to further document program breakdowns by pool and school participation for future planning and potential partnerships to consolidate backpack/back‑to‑school drives and other supply distributions.","Parks & Recreation reported 1,055 programs in 2024, more than 300,000 visits, expanded free winter skating at Hughes Park, a growing RecAssist subsidy for pool passes, and added free swim lessons in partnership with Cedar Rapids schools.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6300057,"Fire department reports higher run volume, low fire fatalities and investments in safety gear",666,1577000,2243000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba&start=1577&end=2243","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba/thumbnail_1577000.jpg","/articles/6300057/Cedar-Rapids/Linn-County/Iowa/Fire-department-reports-higher-run-volume-low-fire-fatalities-and-investments-in-safety-gear","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6300057-868c3050c2b53d2784845155e3ed6234/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175406&Signature=ABgHSWHbw~2IF9nHIATYBZqD6NUnAcFLpGUPbqCNh8qH6LCQ9SUuO~yV~4wBujhAD4ZSj39jMZiC-Wz35NNj1vrNNYn~w5rQDDKO3qMp-9CmS42KXTaJ9EwZVtk09G8tmYZESOgCJ-kX4Np86Na6MJ2y4bRSCHlqLSAO4ieNUPQ06ytfJDFJXUllpGtAhigitIh3LxoZd32o~h6dvPIp~zHLVNK1A6EN0LJAHQjSGa1FCZ9wi4kSdTXthfCWfmPv0wlhqtfSACBLExvZt-cViJrWFLVIsEBs5dFe49gLDj1K90nTsfsHkMSxSroIQ547aFkM3KNGlRRG-Jo0gi7tbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Smith of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department presented the department’s 2024 overview to the committee, reporting a total run volume of 15,631 incidents and noting that emergency medical service and rescue calls accounted for the largest share of responses.

The nut graf: the department is seeing steady year‑over‑year increases in run volume driven primarily by EMS, while maintaining relatively stable structure‑fire counts and investing in firefighter safety equipment and facilities planning.

Chief Smith said EMS and rescue made up more than 55% (about 8,600) of the department’s runs and that the department responded to 419 working fires in 2024, roughly 2.7% of total runs. He reported civilian fire injuries numbered 10 for the year and said there were no confirmed fire fatalities in 2024. “We did not have any fire fatalities last year,” he said.

Smith described fire‑loss statistics and salvage estimates to underscore the department’s containment work: a pre‑incident value for fires of about $107.2 million, fire loss of just under $5.9 million, and roughly $101 million in salvaged property value. Investigators worked 74 incidents; of those, 19 were ruled intentional, 39 unintentional and 18 undetermined.

On personnel and equipment, Chief Smith said 87% of firefighters now have two sets of individually fitted turnout gear and that the department installed cab‑filtration systems on frontline apparatus to reduce exposure to carcinogens. The department received a new Engine 1 in January and expects a ladder truck (Ladder 3) to arrive in June; it also submitted its CPSC compliance and maintained an Insurance Services Office rating of 2/10.

Chief Smith highlighted clinical outcomes for cardiac arrests: 140 cardiac‑arrest responses in 2024, bystander CPR in 8 of those cases and a return‑of‑spontaneous‑circulation (ROSC) rate of 22.1%.

Council members asked about staffing, accreditation and capital needs. The chief said the department has completed a space‑needs analysis to guide future station rehabilitation and replacement and noted continuing accreditation work. Council members encouraged the department to develop additional data visualizations to support planning and budget discussions.

Ending: Councilmembers praised the department’s safety investments and asked for details on how budget cycles will advance remaining targets such as reaching 100% issuance of two turnout suits per frontline firefighter and station improvements.","Cedar Rapids Fire Department said total incidents rose to 15,631 in 2024, with EMS/rescue accounting for over 55% of calls; the department reported no fire fatalities, invested in cab filtration and additional turnout gear, and plans a new ladder truck and continued space‑needs work for stations.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6300062,"SafeCR reports 466 nuisance properties and expands community referrals in 2024",586,1792000,2378000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba&start=1792&end=2378","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba/thumbnail_1792000.jpg","/articles/6300062/Cedar-Rapids/Linn-County/Iowa/SafeCR-reports-466-nuisance-properties-and-expands-community-referrals-in-2024","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6300062-b68afccd1b844f73384ed14893e8483b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175406&Signature=F3HROeAuAGqyvxDxNjrBXE3Rnm4wJxh0QttKE7jmt-GQ~bOAQtvmPW762CgjkQC7WMVqxItQ9EexmP8SXgt2t~a3ygDot9RsLdVlqDQJdGN4fql9~NCPTr0N6uQNRNt~o8YuRuyWZzJz20Y5eBvnp9GJpOMRenTqfAKRsRsTlyslBxMx41u89h8zRYR9z2l8SUNpJBWSLe~lkYNQ3shIO-tq62-OjBVmPtHDWqmUIjTCJMWVcoNwHAGcBuJbgwWK2qT~ChifxC7LHEsgR0ILBDu49u6pVSrGvMwEV~-zXKNev0ooyI9jQQKuV--RLgzoZJci7YvWbqQX7Be7qNyNrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Annette Lorenz, SafeCR program coordinator, presented the program’s 2024 annual update to the Public Safety and New Services Committee and gave a breakdown of calls and outcomes. “From December 1 to December 31, there were 1,484 founded calls for service, affecting 1,149 properties and of those only 466 equated to then being escalated to nuisance properties,” Lorenz said.

The nut graf: SafeCR staff said most founded calls were tier‑C disturbances (roughly 42%) rather than the more severe tier‑A or B offenses; the team emphasized interagency coordination and prevention‑focused responses that often avoid formal nuisance designation.

Lorenz described how SafeCR refers repeat or complex calls to district lieutenants and the police mental‑health team and coordinates with building services, fire, public health and other departments on enforcement and permitting issues. She gave a case example where a property operating as a barber shop had become a late‑night gathering with music, hookah and food service; SafeCR convened city departments and the county public health office to clarify permits, zoning change‑of‑use requirements and safety upgrades.

On landlord background checks, Lorenz said SafeCR began using a new local vendor, C4 Operations, in January 2024. In 2024 the program completed 186 background checks for 22 registered landlords; 71 of the 186 screened produced at least one reportable hit. Lorenz emphasized that the program provides information to landlords but does not make rental decisions for them.

Lorenz highlighted the MyCR app and the program’s neighborhood outreach: mobile park stops, a free‑lunch partnership with schools during summer, presentations to landlords, and a new “tactical Tuesday” meeting format that brings building services, fire, solid waste and other departments together to focus on a small number of complex properties. She said the program also supports community events and coordinates with the Group Violence Intervention and other nonprofits.

Ending: Council members praised the team’s long‑running work and pointed to success stories where problem properties improved under new management; they asked for trend data on MyCR usage and thanked staff for outreach and partnership efforts.","SafeCR staff told the committee they recorded 1,484 founded calls affecting 1,149 properties in 2024, 466 of which became nuisance properties; program staff described cross‑departmental coordination, background‑check use by landlords, and outreach efforts including mobile park stops and a new tactical‑Tuesday inter‑departmental meeting format.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6300066,"Cedar Rapids police report large drop in shots fired, shoplifting rises",268,1509000,1777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba&start=1509&end=1777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2493979-83cbe0318aeda583a4041e0d2da036ba/thumbnail_1509000.jpg","/articles/6300066/Cedar-Rapids/Linn-County/Iowa/Cedar-Rapids-police-report-large-drop-in-shots-fired-shoplifting-rises","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6300066-f155bd9cd3151c712ecbb278ca5024ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175406&Signature=Hg2eEhXtHCEznMT2OU9Z2oJwmCIq4Hi3snPlQglzib4dk~eYSekm7Vw3VwleEQahfwFtdqsKPjN7eX~pMAAHHJLm9VwX7rll8XZOg1Vk4vU20r9wl9RV6hCn-elVpYXGzWEtEfBOLs0hJk2mYK-K7pa1djjuhZWEJTxqhLvYEMKtKKgllY9ymtoStfregP~rZ19IHTbRp~T4ArRWGg4IBDxgScO4zHQyu9oEJWyiIIkTcuUgCqoGJJGzsFeAGLJP9mRua~CE05hjhGlcmfCeQgYcdcJ~GkdjUpK-8LXHJICiRfdafuDO-lUYSNgXbYh7xCdKxHRGH6KOXF6sBD6oBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Dostel of the Cedar Rapids Police Department briefed the Public Safety and New Services Committee on 2024 crime statistics, telling the committee that “the shots fired for last year were down, almost 60% or about 60% from the 5 year average and 40% from last year.”

The nut graf: the department characterized the drop in gunfire as citywide and credited proactive policing and partnerships, while also reporting increases in some property and nuisance crimes that officials said reflect changed reporting patterns.

Chief Dostel and Kent Christian, the department’s crime analyst, told council members property crime overall remained low but shoplifting reports rose. “A lot of merchandise is getting stolen … I think they’re calling quite a bit more often than they did in the past,” Chief Dostel said, adding that some businesses hold multiple incidents and then report them together, which can inflate incident counts in a single call for service.

On violent crime, the chief said part‑1 violent crimes fell toward pre‑pandemic levels and the department recorded one homicide in 2024. “One thing I am ecstatic about is the fact that we had one murder that occurred last year,” Chief Dostel said; he added the incident “ended up being stemming from a domestic abuse incident” and that the suspect, a female, “was charged and she is currently awaiting trial.”

Committee members asked for clarification on how domestic‑abuse figures are counted. Chief Dostel explained the department reports incidents rather than initial calls for service and that domestic abuse incidents appear across two FBI/National UCR‑style categories in their reporting: part‑1 violent crimes and crimes‑against‑persons simple assault categories. “This number … is broken out that way because basically based on the severity and the elements of the crime,” he said.

Council members raised concerns about firearms stolen from vehicles. Chief Dostel reported “We had 38 firearms stolen this year from cars,” and said the department focuses outreach on securing valuables. When asked whether gun owners could be charged for insecure storage leading to theft, the chief said he was not aware of a statute the county attorney would pursue consistently and that prosecutions for leaving firearms in cars are not typical; he noted the county attorney has prosecuted child‑endangerment cases where a gun in a residence was accessed by a child.

The department also reported rises in trespassing and in some disorderly‑conduct categories connected to downtown bar activity. Chief Dostel said that many trespass incidents follow shoplifting arrests where retailers trespass repeat offenders from all their locations. He noted that increases in weapons‑related reporting (illegal possession, trafficking, stolen weapons) were in part a result of intensified enforcement and more charges filed with the Linn County Attorney’s Office, and that the department has investigators assigned to ATF and FBI task forces.

Officials said the criminal investigations unit is prosecuting enticement cases involving adults soliciting minors through online accounts; Chief Dostel said the county attorney is pursuing prostitution/enticement charges in those investigations and that case counts were “upwards” of roughly 18 at the time of the meeting.

Council members and the chief discussed data limitations. Chief Dostel said some breakdowns — for example distinguishing trespass incidents involving people who are unhoused versus trespass tied to retail follow‑ups — would require manual review of individual reports and that database fields do not reliably capture housing status. He agreed to look into available breakdowns but said the task would be labor intensive.

Ending: Council members praised the department’s data reporting and community partnerships while requesting further detail in future reports on drug types in drug‑related cases, clearer breakdowns of trespass origins, and follow‑up on whether statutes exist for charging owners whose firearms are stolen from vehicles.","At a Public Safety and New Services Committee meeting, Cedar Rapids police presented 2024 crime statistics showing shots-fired incidents down about 60% from the five‑year average and a rise in reported shoplifting; police and council members discussed firearm thefts from vehicles and child‑enticement investigations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves minutes and adjourns; no ordinance votes recorded

Parks & Recreation posts record programming, expands free and youth services

Fire department reports higher run volume, low fire fatalities and investments in safety gear

SafeCR reports 466 nuisance properties and expands community referrals in 2024

Cedar Rapids police report large drop in shots fired, shoplifting rises