IC Police Substation to close Sept 1
Hunter
6/7/19
Following the recommendation of Iowa City Police Chief Jody Matherly, the police substation near Broadway Street will close on September first.
The substation was opened in 2010 as a result of illegal activity and crime in the neighborhood, and documents submitted to the City Council by Matherly and City Manager Goeff Fruin say that the crime rate has dropped substantially in the southeast part of town.
Matherly believes that the substation possibly has a negative impact on the area with its mere presence there and says his officers could better patrol the area without the substation.
One drawback to closing the substation is the loss of space. Officers have been using the substation to do tasks that would normally require them to drive to police headquarters downtown.
Other options for the substation included keeping it as is, turning it into more of a community outreach center, or adding more staff and operating it like the downtown location.
In a memo to the city last month, Matherly suggested that if the substation was to be closed it should be done by the end of this summer.
