Arrests drop in IC
Hunter
5/30/19
For the fifth straight year, the number of arrests in Iowa City have dropped.
The 2018 annual report was released by the city this week and shows that although overall crime is down, violent crime is up slightly, led by aggravated assaults.
Police Chief Jody Matherly tells the Cedar Rapids Gazette that a big factor in the decrease in arrests is better police interaction with residents who are intoxicated, homeless, or in a crisis situation. Alternative options to taking people to a hospital or jail has helped reduce the number of public intoxication charges by nearly 500 over the last five years.
There was a slight uptick in disorderly conduct charges in 2018 but still lower than it was five years ago.
The city reports that overall reported crime was down 8.5% last year, but there was a 9.1% increase in violent crime, attributed mostly to an increase in reported aggravated assaults.
Juvenile calls for service are up, but referrals to juvenile court have dropped, which Matherly believes is due to officers getting parents and guardians involved and looking for solutions to keep juveniles out of the court system.
The city reported no homicides in 2018 after having to respond to four the year before.