Independent Report Recommends Des Moines, Iowa PD Focus on Stop and Search Data

A report from the Chicago-based 21CP Solutions found that Des Moines, Iowa should prioritize efforts to improve data collection on police stops and searches, Jason Clayworth reports for Axios. The report, which follows multiple accusations of excessive force, illegal stops or racial profiling against the DMPD since 2020, is the second independent report recommending the city improves traffic and pedestrian stop data collection. DMPD began collecting race data for all stops in October 2022, but, because information about race is based on an officer’s observation, that data may not be correct. In response to the report, the city is hiring three IT employees who will focus much of their time on police data and an online police dashboard will launch within the next year to provide the public with real-time data from the department.