CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids police plan to install security cameras in Greene Square, Redmond Park and downtown as part of a “proactive policing” effort, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman told City Council on Tuesday.
Jerman said the locations were identified because they receive among the heaviest volume of foot traffic. The announcement comes after a handful of incidents in Greene Square, including a fatal assault earlier this month.
“The safety of Cedar Rapids residents and visitors is the No. 1 priority for Cedar Rapids Police Department,” Jerman said.
In addition to the cameras, police plan to cover 50 percent of the cost for a school resource officer at Metro High School, and portable vehicle barricades and removable bollards to protect people during large community events from a vehicle driving into a crowd, Jerman said.
The money for the initiatives comes from unexpected revenue from a collection initiative of unpaid automated traffic camera tickets using the state’s offset program, which withholds state tax returns to pay the unpaid debt. The collection initiative has generated $1.6 million and will be used for “proactive policing” efforts to enhance efforts already underway, Jerman said.
Council members, including Dale Todd and Ann Poe, applauded the plans.
“I appreciate your aggressiveness with moving forward with cameras in Greene Square and Redmond Park,” Todd said.
Todd has been part of a small task force studying issues in Greene Square, and installing cameras was one of the group’s recommendations.
Jerman said the camera programs will be a work in progress, particularly with how to store data and for how long. He did not have a specific timeline for when the cameras will go up.
l Comments: (319) 398-8310; brian.morelli@thegazette.com