Police sub-stations: are we big enough?
Meanwhile, on the Des Moines City Council’s January 7 agenda is an item to approve an agreement with Drake University to lease the building at 1222-24th Street to the Des Moines Police Department, for use as the base for the traffic unit. Is this a sign that the PD has outgrown its riverfront headquarters, or [...]
A bit of poetic injustice
Have you ever misplaced your cell phone and used another phone to dial your number, hoping your cell phone’s ring will give away its location? Yeah, me too. Well next time you try that trick, remember this poor guy - who got told to stop calling his own number - by the people who mugged [...]
Man sues police over porn collection
This didn’t happen in Iowa, but it’s worth sharing: a man convicted of secretly video taping female residents of an apartment complex in California, recently released from jail, is suing the San Rafael Police Department to get back his large collection of porn videos and magazines. The cops don’t want to return the material, because it’s [...]
DMPD’s NEST program is making a difference
Remember the post about the Des Moines Police Department’s NEST program, designed to crack down on crime in four Des Moines neighborhoods? By all accounts it’s making a big difference. That’s great news, but I’m curious about one thing: why would police say it’s unlikely that the program would be come permanent, when it’s having [...]
Police training gives glimpse of officers’ reality
Reading about Tim’s experience observing the Des Moines SWAT team reminded me of my own “police observance project.”
Back in the early 1990’s, I worked for the City of Des Moines Public Information Office and the Police Department came to me with a challenging project: they wanted to collaborate with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to [...]
Police department to step up prevention efforts in four neighborhoods
Update July 24: Here is the report from KCCI-TV about the Neighborhood Enforcement Strike Team (NEST) initiative, following the Police Department’s news conference at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Here’s an interesting item from the KCCI Noon News headlines (via email):
On Tuesday morning, the Des Moines Police Department said it plans to announce a strategy to crack down [...]
Bus driver will not be charged
I’m relieved that police have determined the bus/pedestrian collision was an accident. It’s little comfort, but good to know, that drugs, alcohol and road rage were not involved. I’m sure everyone has seen infractions on both sides of this coin - bus drivers being too aggressive, pedestrians foolishing stepping into traffic because, legally, they have the [...]
City studies plan to increase fines against landlords for criminal tenant behavior
Update: I stand corrected on the “evictions can take months” statement I made below. Someone gave me a little more info about the tools available to landlords for evicting problem tenants, and turns out it can happen in as little as a week.
The Register mentions this afternoon that the City of Des Moines is considering [...]
“Chief urges bikers to follow safety rules”
Okay, I’ll admit it: that headline made me bristle without even reading the article. As a motorcyclist, I can attest to the butt-puckering sensation one gets when a driver with a cell phone pasted to their head decides to turn left in front of you or run a red light, all while operating a 3,500-pound vehicle.
Er… [...]
DMPD Mounted Police in force downtown
Did you catch Josh’s photos of Des Moines’ mounted police unit? Three officers and their horses patrolled through downtown and around Gray’s Lake yesterday. Check out the photos on the Downtown Des Moines Blog!
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