A group of law officers who talked with Congressman Dave Loebsack in a forum on gun violence this week,  said having officers in schools is important. They also talked about other approaches to protecting kids in schools. Eldridge police chief, David Kopatich said his department is training staff in the North Scott school district in a new response called “ALICE.” The same program is being looked in the Atlantic Community School District.  “The ALICE program stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Escape,” Kopatich said. “In the past what we have seen with school policies is that schools simply go into a lockdown mode, where students are locked up in their classroom, basically just sitting, waiting.” Kopatich said the ALICE program has the students and teachers try to escape the shooter.

He said past cases have shown that it’s not a good idea to just sit and wait when a gunman comes into the front of a building, it is better to try and take the students out the back and get them out of harms way. Kopatich said the plan also shows teachers and students how to try and stop the shooter as another option. “Are people possibly gonna get hurt? Yeah, the possibility exists. But just sitting there waiting for a gunman to randomly shoot everybody in the room is probably not a good option,” Kopatich said. “We’re looking at it as the survivability of trying to teach the kids and the staffmembers that you need to survive the situation at any cost.”

Sheriff Kopatich said surviving can range from throwing a chair through a window to get out of the school, to trying to stop the gunman. He says they also have worked with school staff to keep classroom doors locked during the day. Some schools have panic buttons where administrators can automatically lock all doors when something happens. Ottumwa Police Chief, Jim Clark, told the congressman that there should be some mandatory design standards for new schools that incorporate more security. “I know many of our older schools here in Ottumwa, the doors open out, they don’t open in. You can’t barricade the doors…,” Clark explained. “A lot of our schools are older, they don’t have the automatic door closures, in fact many of our doors in our schools don’t even lock, they don’t have locks on ’em.”

Fort Madison Police Chief, Bruce Niggemeyer, said he believes have a School Resource Officer would provide more safety, but he said the cost is an issue.  “We have been trying for some time to get one so we can get them into our school system, but we just simply don’t have the money, we are not that big a community,” Niggemeyer said. DeWitt Police Chief Dave Porter agreed that the officers are important. “We are fortunate to have a school resource officer in our community. Some of those other school shootings that have occurred are a result of bullying, kids pushed to the brink,” according to Porter. “And I think having a school resource officer in the school helps to defuse a lot of those situations as the children build trust in the school resource officer, I think that is an important element.”

Other law officers agreed with Porter. Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, said the forum is one of a series he plans to discuss the issues of gun violence in the wake of the school shootings in Connecticut.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Harlan Police Department said Thursday, that only minor injuries were reported following an accident Monday in the 2200 block of 8th Street, in Harlan. Authorities said a 2004 Chrysler driven by Kenneth Kuster, of Harlan, was traveling south on 8th Street. When he pulled to the right to allow an oncoming car to pass, Kuster’s vehicle hit a legally parked 2004 Pontiac, belonging to Mary Nielsen, of Harlan.

Kuster suffered minor injuries, and was transported by ambulance to Myrtue Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Damage from the accident amounted to $8,000.

Two people were taken into custody last week on drug-related charges, following a traffic stop in Harlan. According to Harlan Police, 18-year old’s  Dani Mari Jones, of Harlan, and Christopher Drozda, of Omaha, were arrested January 9th. Drozda was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Prohibited Acts penalties. Jones faces a Possession of a Controlled Substance charge. Both subjects posted a $2,000 bond and are set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing, on Jan. 31st.

Police in Harlan report two people were arrested earlier this month, following separate theft investigations. 17-year old Mackenzie Ann Robinson, of Harlan, was arrested January 3rd, on felony 2nd degree theft and ongoing criminal conduct charges, following an investigation into the theft of just under $10,000 from the Harlan Fareway store. The money was allegedly stolen over the course of four months. Through her attorney, Robinson entered a plea of Not Guilty to the charges. Her preliminary hearing was tentatively set for Jan. 24th. Robinson posted a $5,000 bond last week, and was released from custody.

And, 18-year old Robert Berding, of Council Bluffs, was arrested January 5th, after allegedly taking a hand gun from a dealer at a gun show, which was being held at Veteran’s Auditorium in Harlan. Berding was charged with Theft in the 4th degree.

The Harlan Police Department reported Thursday, that an investigation into the theft of three laptop computers from the Harlan Community High School, resulted in the arrest earlier this month, of several individuals. Official say 18-year old Ryan Corder, of Harlan, was arrested Jan. 2nd on an active Shelby County warrant charging him with Theft in the 2nd degree. 26-year old Charles Hayes, of Harlan, was arrested the following day, on a Possession of Stolen Property charge.

Also arrested in connection with the thefts, was 20-year old Derek Hedglin, of Harlan, who was taken into custody Jan. 7th for Possession of Stolen Property,  and 18-year old Cassidy Coenen, of Earling, along with 20-year old Kolten Kobold, of Kirkman.  And, following the execution of a search warrant, 30-year old Heather Beatty, of Harlan, was arrested on Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs, and Prohibited Acts, charges.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say no injuries were reported following a minor accident Thursday evening, just east of Stanton. Authorities said Jason Pope, of Wall Lake ,was passing a vehicle on Highway 34 eastbound at around 4:25-p.m., when his 2005 GMC pickup sideswiped the driver’s side door of an eastbound 2007 KIA Rio.  The car, driven by Danielle Wolkensdorfer, of Villisca, sustained $1,800 damage. Officials say following an investigation, Pope was cited for unsafe passing.

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County say a woman from Corning was arrested late Thursday night. 34-year old Tamara McCoy was taken into custody at around 11:50-p.m., after authorities were called about a person walking in the street, falling over and yelling obscenities.  Deputies located McCoy and determined she was intoxicated. She was arrested for Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct, brought to the Adams County Jail, and held on $600 bond, pending an initial court appearance.