The front office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding official city holidays.

We are located at 250 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines.

 

 

 

Most police vehicles have tools that would allow officers to unlock the doors of the majority of vehicles. Not all vehicles can be unlocked and there may be considerations for vehicles with side air bags and other accessories that would make trying to unlock the vehicle too risky. You will need to know that any damage is the responsibility of the driver, but when we can, we will do our best to get you back on the road.

You can request an officer to unlock you vehicle at (515) 222-3321.

If you want to recognize an officer or employee for great service, you can use Online Feedback Form let us know the details, send written communication to the police department with attention to the Chief of Police, or call (515) 222-3321 and ask to speak with a supervisor.

For written communication, we can be reached at:

West Des Moines Police Department
ATTN: Chief of Police
250 Mills Civic Parkway
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265

 All comments are appreciated!

Trust your instincts! If you think something is wrong, then it probably is. Citizens can be a huge help in preventing criminal activity before it occurs and before someone is a victim.

In any case, wouldn't you sleep better just having it checked out?

If you have information about suspicious or possibly criminal activity, you can use our online reporting form.

To get your vehicle out of impound, the owner of the vehicle or the operator at the time the vehicle was impounded will need to come to the police department, located at 250 Mills Civic Parkway, and request an impound release form. Any costs or fees for the impound will have to be settled with the towing company, as our staff cannot accept any money for the impound or make arrangements with the towing company. During regular business hours you can come in to the lobby, but after hours you will need to use the phone at the front entrance and request an employee to meet with you.

Vehicles may also be impounded by private people or businesses for vehicles that are illegally parked or abandoned on private property. The police department may not have record of impounds by private parties.

The most frequently used towing company for impounds is Roy's Motor Service. They can be reached at (515) 225-6088 or on the web at https://roystowingia.com/.

 

If you have a concern about our delivery of police services or want to make a complaint about the conduct of a member of the department, there are a number of ways to initiate the process.

Here are the ways you can bring this to our attention:

• Speak with any on-duty police department employee and let them know you want to make a complaint. They will gather the appropriate information and get it to the supervisor responsible for following up with you.
• File a complaint online using the Online Feedback Form. You will be contacted by a supervisor to follow-up on the complaint.
• Come to the police department and request a complaint form. You can return the form via postal mail or complete the form and leave it with any on-duty police department employee.
• Call the Office of Professional Standards directly at (515) 440-4792. If you leave a message, please give the date, time, type of incident, and any other information you think is important. A supervisor will call you back when available and gather any additional information necessary to follow-up on the complaint.

Our goal is to have complaints and concerns investigated and a resolved within 30 days. If they investigation takes longer, you will be notified of the progress. When the investigation is complete, you will receive a response from the Chief of Police or a designated command person from the police department as to the outcome.

Our Goal:

To unite, with the community, to preserve the safety of West Des Moines for all residents, businesses and visitors. The West Des Moines Police Department will respect all whom we serve, collaborate, and partner; demonstrate unwavering integrity, and deliver a distinct quality service to achieve the accountability obligated to our community.

You can get fingerprinting done whenever the lobby at the police department is open, which is typically Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding official city holidays.

The fee is 15 dollars for each card and you will need to provide your own fingerprint cards. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact our administrative staff at (515) 222-3320.

The police department, located at 250 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines, has a safe exchange zone in the front parking lot. You will a sign designating the area near the front sidewalk. The area is under 24 hour video surveillance.

 

While we notify the people involved about the outcome of the administrative investigation, most personnel actions not subject to open records laws cannot be released.

Records that can be released pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 22 (Open Records) may be purchased through the Administrative Services Unit. Contact (515) 222-3320 for the fee schedule and further information.

You can also use our online public records request form to start the process of obtaining the records.

Release of property and evidence is by appointment only. In order for your property and/or evidence to be returned to you , the officer responsible for your case must authorize it's release. You will need your case number and photo ID for items to be released to you. For further details concerning the options available in reclaiming your property, call the Property and Evidence Section at 515-222-3361. 

In the complaint resolution process, we often meet with the person who made the complaint to have an open dialogue about the incident and work to see both sides of an issue. Depending on the circumstances of the encounter surrounding the concern, it can be helpful to view the video when meeting with the follow-up investigator. This gives everyone the opportunity to reflect on the situation and better understand why certain steps were taken. In situations where video is not available, we will still do our best to work with the complainant to review the circumstances of the complaint.