• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • Improve your pistol-handling skills
      What you need to know about automatic license plate readers
      Do cops need more training?
      Why every agency needs a polygraph examiner
      Seeking the right kind of help
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • Security guard and former police chief killed in New Hampshire...
        San Diego County Sheriff’s Department unveils new night-flying...
        Toddler fires mom’s gun inside Ohio Walmart store
        Heroic K-9 unit honored at National Dog Show for role in capturing...
        NYPD reports surge in hate crimes against New York’s Jewish...
    • Labor
      • Chicago police unit handling use-of-force reviews faces staffing...
        LAPD union files lawsuit against city over delayed pay raises
        “You can’t play politics with public safety”
        “It’s going to be extremely painful for New Yorkers”
        California Highway Patrol officers set to receive significant salary...
    • Tech
      • NYPD explores cutting-edge drone detection vehicle to enhance city...
        The use of military assets by U.S. police
        What you need to know about automatic license plate readers
        Why every agency needs a polygraph examiner
        North Carolina schools, businesses to beef up active shooter security...
    • Training
      • Ballistic shields in patrol operations
        Four things you need to know to control escalation
        Series of fires in Los Angeles County Sheriff’s mobile shooting...
        Using learning factors to influence your performance
        Lancaster Police Department introduces agility course in recruitment...
    • Policy
      • High-speed chase in Houston claims bystander’s life
        L.A. City Council seeks to require police permits for short-term...
        “Hate has no place in Massachusetts”
        “No child should be unsafe in their own city”
        Federal court rules Pennsylvania township’s ban on thin blue line...
    • Health/Wellness
      • Harnessing our strength: Post-traumatic growth
        Scientifically proven ways for cops to thrive
        The depression–anger cycle
        What does it mean to be a sheepdog?
        Depression screening
    • Community
      • “They see me as a person”: Albuquerque school resource officer...
        Off-duty first responders save friend’s life after he experiences...
        New Jersey departments unite for No Shave November
        The nobility of serving
        “The smile is a universal language”
    • Offbeat
      • Meet Sergeant Hank, the Canadian goose boosting morale at an L.A...
        12-year-old boy arrested after stolen forklift chase in Ann Arbor
        Bizarre police chase ends with suspect trapped in porta potty
        Jewelry store heist ends in high-speed chase and mystifying response...
        Massachusetts community steps in to protect black bear “Pumpkin”...
    • We Remember
      • Charlotte bridge dedicated to first female casualty in...
        Birmingham community mourns passing of its first Black police...
        “For those who suffered in silence and were lost”
        “You’re my hero”
        Manhattan Beach police officer and Las Vegas shooting survivor...
  • On the Job
    • Security guard and former police chief killed in New Hampshire...
      San Diego County Sheriff’s Department unveils new night-flying...
      Toddler fires mom’s gun inside Ohio Walmart store
      Heroic K-9 unit honored at National Dog Show for role in capturing...
      NYPD reports surge in hate crimes against New York’s Jewish...
  • Labor
    • Chicago police unit handling use-of-force reviews faces staffing...
      LAPD union files lawsuit against city over delayed pay raises
      “You can’t play politics with public safety”
      “It’s going to be extremely painful for New Yorkers”
      California Highway Patrol officers set to receive significant salary...
  • Tech
    • NYPD explores cutting-edge drone detection vehicle to enhance city...
      The use of military assets by U.S. police
      What you need to know about automatic license plate readers
      Why every agency needs a polygraph examiner
      North Carolina schools, businesses to beef up active shooter security...
  • Training
    • Ballistic shields in patrol operations
      Four things you need to know to control escalation
      Series of fires in Los Angeles County Sheriff’s mobile shooting...
      Using learning factors to influence your performance
      Lancaster Police Department introduces agility course in recruitment...
  • Policy
    • High-speed chase in Houston claims bystander’s life
      L.A. City Council seeks to require police permits for short-term...
      “Hate has no place in Massachusetts”
      “No child should be unsafe in their own city”
      Federal court rules Pennsylvania township’s ban on thin blue line...
  • Health/Wellness
    • Harnessing our strength: Post-traumatic growth
      Scientifically proven ways for cops to thrive
      The depression–anger cycle
      What does it mean to be a sheepdog?
      Depression screening
  • Community
    • “They see me as a person”: Albuquerque school resource officer...
      Off-duty first responders save friend’s life after he experiences...
      New Jersey departments unite for No Shave November
      The nobility of serving
      “The smile is a universal language”
  • Offbeat
    • Meet Sergeant Hank, the Canadian goose boosting morale at an L.A...
      12-year-old boy arrested after stolen forklift chase in Ann Arbor
      Bizarre police chase ends with suspect trapped in porta potty
      Jewelry store heist ends in high-speed chase and mystifying response...
      Massachusetts community steps in to protect black bear “Pumpkin”...
  • We Remember
    • Charlotte bridge dedicated to first female casualty in...
      Birmingham community mourns passing of its first Black police...
      “For those who suffered in silence and were lost”
      “You’re my hero”
      Manhattan Beach police officer and Las Vegas shooting survivor...
  • Between the Lines
    • Debunking the perpetual narrative of racial bias in policing
      The unspoken truth behind the recruitment and retention crisis
      The police reform goal: use of force without options
      The imprisonment of law enforcement technology
      Persecution of the LEO is classic schadenfreude
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

On the Job

Iowa State Patrol’s lack of body worn cameras makes them an outlier among other Iowa law enforcement agencies

APB Team Published July 13, 2021 @ 8:00 am PDT

Iowa State Patrol

When Iowa State Patrol (ISP) officers arrested a Black high school student on allegations that she assaulted a police officer, the lack of body worn cameras was conspicuous.

ISP officers made the arrest during an April 8 protest against “back the blue” legislation to protect qualified immunity at the state Capitol. A video by a protestor showed the student, Josie Mulvihill, push Trooper Dylan Hernandez’ arm. According to a bystander, Hernandez then arrested her and “threw her to the ground.”

Mulvihill is scheduled for a non-jury trial on Aug. 16 for a serious misdemeanor charge, which is punishable by up to one year in jail.

The controversial incident sparked a heated conversation, and raised the question over why ISP officers have yet to adopt body worn cameras despite 90% of the 200 law enforcement agencies across the state using them, according to an In Focus series survey.

ISP is also a very busy agency, stopping 150,000 motorists a year according to Times-Republican. They also provide security at the state Capitol, as in the Mulvihill case. The agency has also been involved in other shootings, such as the April 9 fatal shooting of Sgt. Jim Smith, and did not have body worn camera footage of the event.

Iowa law enforcement officers told In Focus that they like body cameras because citizens behave better if they know they are being recorded. Studies have shown that use-of-force incidents drop dramatically when cameras are worn. The footage also can enable criminal prosecution of cases and is even expected by many juries, according to prosecutors.

As to why the ISP does not use the cameras, Sgt. Alex Dinkla said: “When it comes to body-worn cameras, it’s not as simple as buying the actual BWCs. The BWCs themselves are somewhat affordable. (But) the infrastructure to support them is expensive and complicated.”

For the cameras to work, the ISP would have to outfit every car with a mobile router to download the video, which would equal about 267 cars.

Dinkla added, “Our troopers report to work from their residence, some live two hours from a district office and having a Wi-Fi option is the only alternative to be able to download these videos. Unfortunately, connectivity throughout the entire state in rural areas is still not 100 percent. Finally, there will be the increased storage of the added video as we already support our in-car video systems.”

Debbie McClung, the Iowa Department of Public Safety spokeswoman, provided reporters with budget requests for 2022 and 2023, wherein lawmakers asked the Iowa Legislature for a total $3.55 million to equip troopers with body cameras.

The budget request narrative read, “Continuing without the addition of a body worn camera is irresponsible when considering both the expectations of our society as well as the safety and security of our state troopers and those they serve.”

Following the request, the ISP received an estimate from Sierra Wireless (a Canadian company that supplies law enforcement agencies with the technology) for $2.55 million. The largest items are $336,500 for 400 body cameras, $547,000 for 400 vehicle routers, $187,000 for body camera software licensing and $183,000 for the vehicle antennae.

Rep. Jarad Klein, R-Keota, chairman of the Iowa House Public Safety Committee, said he did not see the request but is supportive of law enforcement’s use of body cameras.

“I’m supportive of the funding to go toward body cameras,” he said. “It is a valuable tool for the officers, the community.”

According to the Times-Republican, Iowa could always mandate the use of body cameras by law. The report cited seven states – Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Carolina – that require agencies to equip officers with body worn cameras. 

Categories: On the Job Tags: Iowa State Patrol, Police, Law Enforcement, body worn cameras

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • “They see me as a person”: Albuquerque school resource officer and cheer coach bridges gap, inspires students
  • High-speed chase in Houston claims bystander’s life
  • Meet Sergeant Hank, the Canadian goose boosting morale at an L.A. Sheriff’s station
  • Chicago police unit handling use-of-force reviews faces staffing crisis and backlog
  • L.A. City Council seeks to require police permits for short-term rentals
  • 12-year-old boy arrested after stolen forklift chase in Ann Arbor
  • “Hate has no place in Massachusetts”
  • Bill Alexander Named CEO of National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
  • Charlotte bridge dedicated to first female casualty in Charlotte-Mecklenburg P.D. history
  • Bizarre police chase ends with suspect trapped in porta potty

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

Improve your pistol-handling skills

Improve your pistol-handling skills

October 21, 2023

What you need to know about automatic license plate readers

What you need to know about automatic license plate readers

October 20, 2023

Do cops need <em>more</em> training?

Do cops need more training?

October 17, 2023

Why every agency needs a polygraph examiner

Why every agency needs a polygraph examiner

October 16, 2023

Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Options | Notice at Collection | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.