By Stefan Coleman
The Iowa City police hope to get more cameras.
After several incidents in which officials say on-location cameras would’ve been helpful in investigations, the police say getting more cameras should be considered a necessity.
Following an incident in late May in which a UI graduate student was found unconscious and brutally beaten in a downtown alley and a case in which Marcus Owens, a UI student who alleged he had been jumped behind a downtown bar, police said cameras could have helped solve these cases.
Police Lt. Mike Brotherton said the cameras would make the officers’ jobs a bit easier when trying to investigate such high-profile cases. He said the cameras wouldn’t be meant to watch or look at everyday life but would be used in investigating cases and maintaining safety.
“They’re a great tool to solving all of these problems in a timely manner,” Brotherton said. “It would be easy for us to go back to a specific date and time and see what occurred.”
Brotherton said he believes the cameras will also be a strategic way to reduce crimes and ensure safety.
“Makes people think twice about committing a crime, and it holds people accountable,” he said. “Overall, it makes us safe.”
An increase in safety could help the police but would also benefit the community as well.
Marcus Razor, a security guard at Brothers, 125 S. Dubuque St., said he thinks these cameras could be vital in investigations and would also make the Pedestrian Mall a safer place to be, not just for bar patrons but also for people walking in the area.
“Those cameras will help them help us,” Razor said. “As security guards, we can’t see everything that goes on, especially on busy nights. So the cameras would give us extra eyes when needed.”
University of Iowa junior Kayla Williams said she supports the requested cameras.
She said it can be scary for women to walk by themselves at night and knowing there is a little extra security might make things better and could even reduce the number of crimes, such as sexual harassment, that occurs.
“These cameras may help reduce the number of sexual-harassment emails we receive throughout the year,” she said. “They’ll just make me feel a little more comfortable walking in Iowa City.”