Police report busy summer of youth programming; Citizen Police Academy begins for fall

Sergeant Roberts, of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, told the Public Safety Committee the department ran multiple youth programs this summer that reached children across age groups. “We did host a hero camp with fire for 3 days for 5 and 6 year olds, reaching approximately 60 children,” Roberts said, adding two sessions of elementary camp and two sessions of a middle school camp that each reached about 50 children.
The programs included a summer fishing program run with the Boys and Girls Club and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, a youth golf program that included students from area high schools, tours of the police department for homeschool and preschool groups, and a debut of an ice cream truck used on National Night Out.
Committee members said community engagement matters for public safety. Councilmember Vianney called Sergeant Roberts “an exemplary example of that” and said community policing can shape people’s interactions with law enforcement.
Roberts said the department will continue classroom visits across the Cedar Rapids Community School District in the fall, plans a career presentation at Wilson Middle School for eighth-graders and has started an 11-week Citizen Police Academy. He also listed planned appearances at public events including Festival Latino, Asian Fest and the Country Fair.
The department characterized these activities as outreach and training, not policy changes or budget decisions. No formal action was taken by the committee on programming during the meeting.