After years of calls by concerned citizens to get rid of an imposing, military-style vehicle sometimes used by local law enforcement, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday directed the sheriff's office to consider an alternative.
The county obtained the mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle in 2014 through a surplus program offered by the federal government. The justification was that it was needed during active shooter situations or in natural disasters.
But some residents have complained about feeling traumatized when seeing the vehicle deployed on city streets, saying it makes the scene feel like a war zone. Johnson County Supervisor Royceann Porter on Wednesday recalled a time when she saw the MRAP stationed outside a home in Iowa City's south district, a neighborhood with a higher percentage of minority residents.
She said law enforcement officials, with guns drawn, woke up children and ushered them to safety.
"The people brought out of the house were five little kids with their hands up. These were babies. I think the oldest might have been 12. But five little kids come out of the house, and that bothered me," Porter said. "I couldn't believe it."
Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said the MRAP has been used by local law enforcement agencies 19 times. Of those, 16 were for shootings, homicides or firearms-related investigations; two were for standby at protests; and two incidents included shots fired at law enforcement in 2020.
Last year, the Iowa Freedom Riders, who have argued that use of the MRAP has traumatized residents in the south district, demanded that the Iowa City Council send a letter to the sheriff's office to get rid of it. Lonny Pulkrabek, who was sheriff at the time, refused.
Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague, at the time, said Iowa City had no intention of using it.
More:Iowa Freedom Riders, IC mayor respond to sheriff's decision to keep military-grade vehicle
Last month, the Iowa City Police Department used the MRAP to transport officers to serve an arrest warrant in the south district.
The Press-Citizen asked Teague this week about that apparent shift in policy.
He responded Wednesday with a statement from City Manager Geoff Fruin.
"There is no formal policy governing the Iowa City Police Department’s use of the County MRAP. The Chief of Police has the ability to utilize the vehicle as an option of last resort in situations deemed to be high risk for physical harm to police officers or the public," Fruin wrote.
"When used in a warrant situation like it was last month, the department concluded that there was no other safe alternative to serving the warrant. The use of the vehicle allows for a surround and callout execution of the warrant which is the safest alternative and eliminates the need for any forcible entry into the home."
It was Iowa City's most recent use of the MRAP that has sparked the outcry, with several activists renewing calls for its elimination by making that demand during county and city public comment periods.
A look back:Iowa City protests grow, see brief clash with authorities
During Kunkel's presentation at the Wednesday meeting, which was scheduled because of the public's renewed interest, he said the vehicle regularly gets mischaracterized as a tank. Later, however, he acknowledged that the vehicle could have negative psychological impacts because of its intimidating presence.
The county obtained the mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle in 2014 through a surplus program offered by the federal government. The justification was that it was needed during active shooter situations or in natural disasters.
But some residents have complained about feeling traumatized when seeing the vehicle deployed on city streets, saying it makes the scene feel like a war zone. Johnson County Supervisor Royceann Porter on Wednesday recalled a time when she saw the MRAP stationed outside a home in Iowa City's south district, a neighborhood with a higher percentage of minority residents.
She said law enforcement officials, with guns drawn, woke up children and ushered them to safety.
"The people brought out of the house were five little kids with their hands up. These were babies. I think the oldest might have been 12. But five little kids come out of the house, and that bothered me," Porter said. "I couldn't believe it."
Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said the MRAP has been used by local law enforcement agencies 19 times. Of those, 16 were for shootings, homicides or firearms-related investigations; two were for standby at protests; and two incidents included shots fired at law enforcement in 2020.
Last year, the Iowa Freedom Riders, who have argued that use of the MRAP has traumatized residents in the south district, demanded that the Iowa City Council send a letter to the sheriff's office to get rid of it. Lonny Pulkrabek, who was sheriff at the time, refused.
Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague, at the time, said Iowa City had no intention of using it.
More:Iowa Freedom Riders, IC mayor respond to sheriff's decision to keep military-grade vehicle
Last month, the Iowa City Police Department used the MRAP to transport officers to serve an arrest warrant in the south district.
The Press-Citizen asked Teague this week about that apparent shift in policy.
He responded Wednesday with a statement from City Manager Geoff Fruin.
"There is no formal policy governing the Iowa City Police Department’s use of the County MRAP. The Chief of Police has the ability to utilize the vehicle as an option of last resort in situations deemed to be high risk for physical harm to police officers or the public," Fruin wrote.
"When used in a warrant situation like it was last month, the department concluded that there was no other safe alternative to serving the warrant. The use of the vehicle allows for a surround and callout execution of the warrant which is the safest alternative and eliminates the need for any forcible entry into the home."
It was Iowa City's most recent use of the MRAP that has sparked the outcry, with several activists renewing calls for its elimination by making that demand during county and city public comment periods.
A look back:Iowa City protests grow, see brief clash with authorities
During Kunkel's presentation at the Wednesday meeting, which was scheduled because of the public's renewed interest, he said the vehicle regularly gets mischaracterized as a tank. Later, however, he acknowledged that the vehicle could have negative psychological impacts because of its intimidating presence.
Johnson County Supervisors direct sheriff to consider alternative to military-style vehicle
Some residents have complained for years about the imposing vehicle acquired in 2014 and used 19 times since. The county may be listening.
www.press-citizen.com