Special Waterloo Police Unit Reaches Milestone, More Work Ahead

It seems as though every day there is another story on the news about gun violence and shootings. The debate came to schools across the country in a big way after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. So much so, that a school district in Spirit Lake, in Northwest Iowa just this week announced that it would arm staff with guns during school hours.

Beyond the classroom though, there were incidents over the summer at both Maquoketa Caves State Park and Cornerstone Church in Ames.

The debate about solutions may never reach closure, but a special task force within the Waterloo Police Department that was formed as an extra step in curbing gun violence has reached what it called a milestone this week.

According to the website of the Waterloo Police Department, the city council in Waterloo accepted a 4-year grant on August 24, 2009, to create what is now called the "Violent Crime Apprehension Team". The goal of the officers on the VCAT team is to locate and identify those who are committing violent crimes including but not limited to gang violence, gun crimes, and drug offenses.

According to KCRG, VCAT reached what it called a milestone this week, seizing the 700th gun off the streets since its inception. Interim Police Chief Joe Leibold said:

VCAT and the officers that assist them to work relentlessly to prevent violent crimes and apprehend violent offenders. The hard work of the officers assigned to the Unit and every local, State, and Federal law enforcement officer who has assisted them in this mission is the reason for their success, we thank them all for their hard work and support.

The VCAT unit currently operates under the Detective Bureau of the Waterloo Police Department and works closely with US Marshals Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.

You might say to yourself, that 700 guns in 13 years doesn't sound like a lot, but as the media release from the Waterloo Police Department notes, several of these gun seizures have led to federal prosecution and convictions in the northeast Iowa area, which we can likely all agree is a great step, albeit a small one, in a positive direction.