Iowa City Police Department officials changed the level of detail in incidents available to the public in its police activity log in September to prevent accidental disclosure of confidential information.
Iowa City police inputs incident details on the activity log, which contains the date, time, location, and type of call for service. For over 20 years, the log included details on some calls containing background information on the nature of the call.
Information provided from these details have been used by the public, journalists, and the popular X, formerly known as Twitter, account the Iowa City Police Log to document crime in Iowa City.
ICPD Public Information Officer Lee Hermiston wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan that any member of the public can request additional information on the calls. Iowa City police and the City of Iowa City will assess what information can be released.
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Iowa City police added a direct link to the Johnson County Joint Emergency Center’s call log which contains the date, time, location, and type of call for service for all Johnson County law enforcement.
Iowa law allows police agencies to restrict information that would impede an investigation. Hermiston wrote that the change is intended to better align with other law enforcement agencies in the area.
However, some experts are questioning how the change impacts the department’s transparency.
Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, also known as FOI, said ICPD is standing apart from what other agencies are doing.
“I think that is part of the reason that the Iowa Freedom of Information Council is troubled by the latest policy change by the Iowa City police,” Evans said.
The FOI Council consists of journalists, librarians, lawyers, educators, and other Iowans who support an open government.
Evans said he understands how some in the community have reacted negatively to the change because it is restricting information that was once available, however, he wishes to remind people that Iowa City police is acting within the law to restrict that information.
According to an email from Campus Safety’s Public Information Officer Hayley Bruce, the University of Iowa crime log will be continually maintained by the UI Office of Clery Compliance and will not be changed.
Reports to the University must be disclosed in accordance with the Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data, support victims of violence, and publicly outline the policies and procedures intended to improve campus safety.