New electronic Bias Reporting System for the Decorah Police Department is now activated

The Decorah Police Department now has an electronic Bias Reporting System in operation.

Anyone wishing to report an incident of bias can do so now at the Decorah Police Department's website. There is a tab for the Bias Report located on the website.

Anyone filling out a report can either include contact information or can remain anonymous.  All reports which are submitted will be turned over to the Decorah Police Department's Bias Report Response Team.

Bias reports can still be filed in person, but anyone who, for whatever reason, hesitates to make a report in person can now visit the website and file an anonymous report.

Said Decorah Police Chief Dave Smutzler, "I see this as a win/win for the community and the (police) department.  In the past if someone were reluctant to speak to an officer, we might never have learned about an incident….If an incident is never reported, we cannot investigate and rectify an issue that has occurred and possibly prevent it from happening again."

The Decorah Police Department worked with Luther College in designing the new system.  Luther already has a system in place for such reporting.