CEDAR RAPIDS
DEPARTMENT
FY24 ANNUAL REPORT
A note from the chief
Treat every call as if it’s the one you’ve been waiting for all day. That’s how I encouraged officers to approach their jobs when I was promoted to Chief over a year ago. In 2024, CRPD acted with compassion and commitment while providing safety and security to 135,000 residents, business owners and visitors. This look back on a productive year shows how effective partnerships, integration of technology and solid police work are critical to Cedar Rapids’ intent to be a welcoming, vibrant community for all.
CRPD continues fostering the growth of great talent. We promoted a new Captain and reassigned two in 2024 — their divisions are more effective than ever. Our community partnerships are bearing fruit with reduced levels of violence. Non-profit groups and law enforcement agencies with goals aligned with ours are vital to these efforts. As you’ll see on the next page, we are truly making a difference by making this a safer city.
A personal and department-wide focus for 2025 is officer well-being and resiliency. It’s no secret the stresses of police work weigh heavily on the minds and bodies of officers. We must find better methods of alleviating the long-term effects of exposure to trauma. Mental and physical relief is critical to keeping officers fit for duty. I’m committed to this effort and actively promote and support officers’ efforts to remain ready for duty.
It’s my true pleasure to serve the City, its residents, and those who stand with us in our effort to hold the line of good and compassion.
David Dostal Police Chief
2024 CRIME STATS
Cedar Rapids ended 2024 with historically low crime numbers in many categories. Key points of this year’s report show 2024 ends with a single homicide. This is a tremendous result. Efforts by our officers, other partner law-enforcement agencies, and community violence
reduction programs deserve credit for their work and this result. While we all want to see 2025 continue the trend, the total is unlikely to be as low. Our teams will continue to address the causes of violence in the community and to hold offenders accountable.
2024
Office of Professional Standards Report
criminal investigations division
CODY ESTLING, COMMANDER
The Cedar Rapids Police Department Criminal Investigations Division (CID) is comprised of specialized units including: Crimes Against Persons, Sex Crimes, Property Crimes, Internet Crimes Against Children, Narcotics, Crime Scene Unit, Property and Evidence, Mobile Assist Team, and Task Force Officers assigned to our partners at the FBI, DEA, ATF, and US Marshals Service. There are currently 37 investigators, 9 supervisors, and 6 civilian staff members assigned to the division. CID takes on serious, specialized, and complex investigations that fall outside the realm of the Patrol Division. The Division’s success rate for the most serious of cases is highlighted by a 100% clearance rate on all homicide cases from 2022-2024.
Patrol Division
CAPTAIN DOUGLAS DOYLE, COMMANDER
The Patrol Division is the largest CRPD division and plays a critical, highly-visible role in our effort to provide safety, security, and trustworthy service to the City. Patrol officers provide the first response to most of our calls. 96 officers are assigned, covering four shifts. There is one Lieutenant and five Sergeants on each of the four shifts. They join Traffic and other Divisional teams on every shift. Patrol officers can additionally be assigned to part-time specialty positions. There are 26 Field Training Officers and 27 certified bike officers. 14 patrol officers serve on the Mobile Field Force. Many also serve specialty assignments in Honor Guard, Hazardous Devices, Special Response, and more. Patrol provides 24-hour coverage of 72 square miles and 135,000 residents. They handled over 142,000 inbound and self-initiated calls for service and made 12,888 traffic stops in 2024. Officers responded to 3,104 traffic accidents.
Automated license plate readers ALPR
The Cedar Rapids Police department employs two vehicle-mounted Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) to automatically capture plates during patrol. ALPR detected 1,393,198 plates resulting in 14,899 alerts. These include warrants, protection orders, and sex offenders. In 2024, 10 stolen vehicles were recovered by these units.
Community Services Division
CAPTAIN CHARLIE FIELDS, COMMANDER
School Resource Officers
School Resource Officers provide safe, secure learning environments at nine local schools including: Polk Alternative, four Cedar Rapids high schools, three at College Community Campuses, and one at Kirkwood Community College.
Canine Unit
Canine unit includes eight full-time Officer/Canine teams, including one Sergeant. There are six narcotic, one explosive material, and one tracking canine who provide force-multiplying capabilities. The Canine Unit supports operations to all of our divisions. Canine Officers and their handlers made 41 apprehensions, conducted 24 search warrants, provided 34 demonstrations, and 40 explosive sweeps last year. 55 pounds of marijuana and 77 pounds of methamphetamine were detected by canine officers.
Community Outreach
Community Outreach is a full-time specialty unit with two officers and one Sergeant. They are a valued liaison between our Department and the community. They participate in community events, conduct Citizen and Youth Academies, and offer Police PALS outreach and education for elementary students. Last year, Police PALS visited 546 classrooms and taught 12,000 students safety lessons appropriate for their age.
Mental Health Unit
The Mental Health Unit provides critical services to those experiencing mental health crises and helps reduce officer, jail, and emergency room overuse in the community. Early in 2025, we hired a second Mental Health Officer and second Mental Health Liaison from Foundation 2.
Safe-cr
ANNETTE LORENZ, MANAGER
Secure and friendly environments in cedar rapids
This civilian-employee-staffed group addresses conditions detrimental to the peaceful enjoyment of neighborhoods by enforcing City Ordinance Chapter 22A. This applies to all properties including: rental, owner-occupied, commercial, and industrial locations. Their goal is to ensure a higher quality of life for residents, preserve property values, and control the costs of taxpayer-funded City services. They offer background checks for landlords and inform
Police Community Action Team
The Police Community Action Team (PCAT) has six fulltime police officers and one Sergeant. Their primary focus is the reduction and suppression of youth violence within the community, emphasizing gun violence.
Specialty Units
Part-time and full-time time specialty Units in CSD include Traffic, Accident Reconstruction, Honor Guard, Hazardous Devices Unit (HDU), Crisis Negotiation Team, and Special Response Team. SRT served 32 high risk warrants and responded to seven barricaded subjects. HDU responded to 19 suspected items with five confirmed device calls and conducted four drone operations.
Neighborhood Associations and residents on a multitude of City-enforced matters. SAFE-CR also helps property owners create plans to abate nuisances and that builds trust in the community. SAFE-CR’s ability to interface with CRPD, CRFD, Zoning, Building Services, Solid Waste, and residents offers equitable and effective solutions to property issues and reduces the negative effects of dilapidated homes, apartments, and commercial locations.
Administrative Operations
CAPTAIN RYAN ABODEELY, COMMANDER
The Cedar Rapids Police Department implemented several innovative recruitment strategies in 2024. This resulted in the highest levels of recruiting interest in five years. The Department partnered with local media outlets, showcasing law enforcement opportunities and advantages. Officers attended numerous recruiting events, meeting directly with potential candidates.
Cedar Rapids Regional Law Enforcement Academy trained 16 recruits, eight from CRPD and eight from outside agencies in 2024. Cedar Rapids is one of four Level-1 academies in the state. Recruits spend 19 weeks in training and receive 760 hours of instruction. Recruits receive extraordinary instruction in policing before receiving on-the-job-training with a Field Training Officer.
Cedar Rapids Police Department Records Division provides 24-hour operations and is the central repository of our crime and investigative reports. There are two Supervisors and 16 Records Techs. In 2024, the Records Division entered 16,712 incidents, took 1312 reports, entered 6,883 arrests, transcribed 27,340 dictations, and answered 21,149 phone calls. Since the online portal was implemented in April 2024, they also processed 3,896 records requests.
Administrative Operations is also home to the Joint Communications Agency and Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control.
Joint Communications Agency
The calming voices who direct emergency resources to your call. Cedar Rapids Joint Communications Agency dispatchers provide 24/7 service to CRPD, CRFD, Animal Control, City departments, Airport Public Safety, and Iowa State Patrol as needed. They are trained in emergency first aid, CPR, and public safety communications. Several dispatchers received awards in 2024 for swift, effective, lifesaving efforts. Last year, they managed over 250,000 in and outbound calls. JCA is staffed with one manager, two supervisors, and 22 dispatchers.
CEDAR RAPIDS
ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL
RAE SMITH, MANAGER
Our mission is to serve and protect with compassion. We do this through education, enforcement, and successful pet adoptions. Animal control officers work closely with CRPD, CRFD, medical providers, and regional shelters to create a network of care for hundreds of animals every year. CRAC&C is comprised of one manager, one assistant manager, six animal control officers, and three kennel maintenance personnel.
CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
FY24 ANNUAL REPORT
cedar rapids police department
fy24 annual report – digital version