Police annual report cites drops in ATE citations after pause, highlights Narcan saves and tech gains

Des Moines Police presented the department's 2024 annual report to the City Council, reporting fewer automated traffic enforcement citations after a temporary pause in service and outlining changes in arrests, responses to mental-health crises, narcotics enforcement and investigative technology. Police Chief (the department's lead speaker) and staff addressed denied state approvals for some mobile speed camera locations, the department's rising use of mobile crisis teams and new lab equipment that shortened ballistic analysis turnaround from about a year to days.

The report matters because the enforcement and response trends affect road safety, downtown parking enforcement and how the city responds to mental-health calls and violent crime. Council members questioned whether data from cameras and response teams could support future applications or funding requests.

The Police Chief said the department recorded just over 14,000 red-light citations in 2024 (about 2% fewer than 2023) and about 78,000 speed-enforcement citations, which was about 20% less than 2023. He attributed part of that decline to a state-level pause in automated traffic enforcement between May 17 and June 27, when the department did not conduct ATE enforcements. The chief also said the department had applied to the state to add more approved mobile speed-camera locations but was denied: "We can keep applying. I think we're gonna have to figure out why we got denied." He said the state gave no substantive basis beyond a denial: "They just ... basically, they just said no."

Council members asked whether the camera system records non-violation speeds or the percentage of traffic cited; the chief said the cameras record violation speeds but do not routinely produce a dataset of non-violation vehicle speeds, and the department does not currently know the share of vehicles passing a camera that received citations.

On mobile camera deployments, staff said the city has six mobile cameras and a set of approved locations it rotates through (the presentation referenced 12 approved locations and a six-unit rotation), and that specific intersections accounted for a large share of citations.

On arrests and pursuits, the department reported roughly 8,400 arrests in 2024, with most arrests for outstanding warrants, theft, burglary, trespassing and assault causing bodily injury. The department logged 157 vehicle pursuits last year; council members pressed about reasons and policy emphasis, and the chief said there has been more emphasis on the high liability of pursuits.

The report described a sharp rise in calls handled by the department's mobile crisis response and care programs: combined, they took 8,891 calls in 2024, a roughly 50% increase over 2023. Of those calls, just under 1% resulted in arrest. The chief said those teams handled many incidents without officer response and that about 1,400 calls were handled without an officer present.

The department reported staffing and training metrics: two academy classes graduated in 2024 and 37 officers graduated; the department logged just over 43,000 training hours. The department said officer applications have increased in the past two years and credited a dedicated recruiting officer and outreach efforts.

Investigations and technology were highlighted as contributors to clearance rates. The department said it now operates a local shell-casing analyzer (in addition to state resources) that reduced turnaround times on ballistic comparisons from nearly a year to a few days. "The turnaround is within a week, usually a few days," the chief said, adding that quicker results improved both individual-case work and investigative intelligence linking multiple scenes.

Narcotics and overdose response: officers administered Narcan 35 times in 2024 and reported about 30 lives saved by those interventions. The department reported fentanyl as the primary drug by value and poundage in seizures; marijuana remained the largest volume by weight but lower in street value. The department also reported about 180 overdose cases and 27 narcotics-related deaths for 2024.

On firearms and seizures, the department said firearms-involved cases and confirmed shootings were up slightly while the number of guns seized was down from earlier years. The chief cited multiple factors that could affect seizure counts, including state open-carry law changes, different proactive unit deployments and shifting enforcement strategies.

The department described difficulties in seizing illicit proceeds as criminal markets migrate to cryptocurrency: property-crimes detectives reported 18 reported cryptocurrency scams in 2024 involving about $500,000 in alleged losses, averaging roughly $27,000 per reported scam. The chief warned such losses are often underreported and difficult to recover.

The report also covered retail theft and trends tied to reporting and prosecution; about 1,700 retail theft incidents were reported and roughly 800 were closed, with approximately 500 closed by arrest. The chief and councilmembers said retail theft is likely underreported because some businesses decline to pursue the matter.

On victim services, the department said it is selecting a new lead victim resource officer after the retirement of Terry Mitchell. The chief described the role as the primary point of contact for families in homicides or other serious incidents and said the position requires a particular temperament and experience.

Councilmembers asked about the department's five-year strategic plan and likely staffing and budget implications. The chief said the draft plan outlines incremental staffing increases and that additional hires will help but that hiring takes time; he warned of burnout and shorter officer tenures without steady staffing improvements.

No formal motions or votes were recorded in this segment of the meeting. Council members requested follow-up data on denied mobile-camera applications, whether camera systems can report non-violation speeds or traffic volumes, and additional detail about proprietary parking- or camera-location rejections by the state.

Ending: The chief said the department will continue outreach to explain scams and prevention, coordinate potential reapplications for mobile-camera locations and finalize the strategic plan with staffing projections for council review.