HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-13-1998 Articles Cedar Rapids Gazette March 10, 1998
:PoliCe review: board-reiects
,lo'wa City'man's COmPl:a,ntSi' '
~ ' Gm.re John~ofl C°unt~ ~ o~c~ decid~ ~e ch~e'.~ w~t~ ~er
~ OWA CI~' -- ~e Police Ci~ Review m~ s nei~r F~M a ~mp~t ~
~ Bo~d ~ sided with poli~ Chi~ R.3. W~kel- de~ent.
se~ the as~ c~e on ~e man Videota~
According to repo~s released b~ ~e ~d, the ~e ~est because ~e o~r was conceded
man ~eged ~ complaints F~ed Oct. ~, Nov. 17 m~ wo~d m~e ~e~fions against h~.
~d D~. 1 ~at for ye~s ~lice ~d made
~w~ s~ops 0f his ve~cle, ~tch~ his ~e ~d a~ wi~ W~e~e
home and f~fl~, h~a~ h~ ~d de~v~ h~ agai~t ~e m~'s ~e~fio~s ~at police ~der~
of his civil ri~. · h~, a~tempted ~o incite h~, used handc~s
~e ~d co~ider~ ~e man's complaints at were too ti~t on h~, video~p~ his dau~ter
eight m~t~s. ~d m~iciously c~ h~ and h~sed him.
~e 0ether comp~t con~'a '~pute~:~' . ~? m~S.p~e~F co~p~ ~o~ce~
~n ~' ~'s wife ~d a/ne~r Ac:~: li~ mv~uon ~i~mp~r mar me m~ cut
c~d~ to ~e ~d re~ m~est~t~, off h~ n~r. ~ .~?.th~ ne~r
o~cer decid~ ' e~es ~ not ~ted ~ w~ j~: 'l~ ~g~ mar when
aga~st either p~ ~d a~m~t~ ~ mMiate'~ went to h~ d~ ~ ~e~ h~ed
~e dispute, de~i~ h~ h~ h~ ~, subjected
Siding with conclusions reach~ b~ Winkel- m~cious prOs~ution ~d cracked the
h~e, the bo~d ~ed aga~st ~e ~'s ~ega- ~ ~o~t d~r.
tions ~hat the police conspired to deny him his Si~ng wilh Winke~e, ~e bo~d rejected
rights, were vindictive towed him and fabricated ~e~ions. However, ~e bo~d did state ~at it
past charges against h~. wo~d ~ appropriate for ~e m~ to F~e a cla~
The November complaint ~ose from ~ assault wi~ the city F~ce dep~ent for ~e b~ken
ch~ge against ~e man. ~e cou~ a~o~ey's window.
Iowa CiTy Press Citizen - March 12, 1998
Complaints
against police
stay at average
By Craig Lang
Complaint·
The Iowa City Police about police
Department received complaints
from 12 citizens regarding ·'l~7: '12 complaints,
police activity in t997 -- one one sustainod
more than the year before. · 1~6: 'l 1 complaints,
Police Chief R.J. four sustain~:l
?Winkelhnke presented these fig- · 1995:20 oomplaint$,
utes Wednesday to the Police one sustain~l
· 1904:.13 complaints,
12 t four sustained
one · 'l~:~: '10 complaints,
one sustain~l
c ~:p I i n a r y · 1 ~: oight ~om-
a{;tion. In plaints, two $ustainecl
1996, the · 1{~1:10 complaints,
department one $ustainocl
received 11
complaints, accurate assessment of the
four of which ~qrl[t.~[h~{~ department. He said that corn-
resulted in pared to a police station, where
some sort of discipline, it is difficult for a citizen to
Half of the complaints were lodge a complaint, the 12
unfounded, the report showed,
reports in Iowa City may be
meaning that the accusations considered excessive.
by the complainant were dis- "lcan'ttellyouifthat'sgood
covered to be unb-ue. Among or bad;' he said.
the others, Winkelhake said the The review board did not
investigations of the other five make any comments about the
complaints revealed that an complaint reports.
officer did not act inappropri- In other business:
ately or that the complainant · Winkelhake and the board
refused to cooperate in the discussed the PCRB's role in the
investigation, drafting of policy to meet
The complaint resulting in accreditation standards.
disciplinary action was the fast Board member John Watson
case brought to the five-mem- requested that the board not be
ber review board. The panel asked to review every policy
decided that Sgt. Jim Lima's before it is put into effect. The
response to a citizen's corn- board decided that it would look
plaint on Aug. I was inappro- at the policies it feels are most
priate. Linn underwent coun~ important.
seling before the matter went to '~hat would be a lot of work
the board, with this group, and we have
Winkelhake said he does not other matters to tend to," board
think that the number of corn- chairman Paul Hoffey said of
plaints can be used to make an reviewing every policy.