Des Moines police have begun collecting racial data when issuing written warnings to motorists

Because of the efforts of groups like Iowa-CCI’s Racial Justice Team (RJT), Black motorists in Des Moines may experience fewer traffic stops and fewer citations for minor vehicle infractions. At least that’s the hope. City leaders and the police will also have more accurate data on traffic stops happening. 

Since 2018, the RJT at Iowa-CCI has been advocating that Des Moines police collect data, including race, on all traffic stops. The city finally agreed once the outside consulting firm they hired, Public Works LLC, made the same professional recommendation. Collecting racial data on all stops presents a clearer picture, full data, on how officers patrol traffic. 

The change has been in effect since October 2022, but police did little to make the public aware until now. Simply put, the policy requires that Des Moines police must give drivers a written warning if they stop you. Gone are the days when police can stop a driver for a minor infraction (i.e., expired tags) and use the stop to search for some larger crime like guns or drug possession and then let you go when nothing was found. Now they must at least document the traffic stop with a written warning. 

Read more about this new policy change in a recent Des Moines Register article. 

The Des Moines City Council meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, July 17. Read the agenda here.