IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Iowa City Council is considering a plan to restructure its police department
The council agreed to look at changes following protests last summer over police brutality and racial disparities. Many of the protests were led by the groups Black Lives Matter and the Iowa Freedom Riders, and called for police reforms.
Iowa City Manager Geoff Fruin has compiled a 246-page plan with 36 recommendations to restructure the department more toward a community-policing model.
Changes being considered include the banning of traffic stops for low-level violations, like jaywalking, equipping officers with Narcan for overdoses and teaming mental health workers with officers to respond to calls.
Further changes would call for officers to do community service work. City Manager Fruin presented his recommendations to the Iowa City Council Tuesday.
(Reporting from KCRG-TV contributed to this report)