Des Moines launches new downtown police squad

Driving the news: The new squad has six officers and a sergeant, Parizek says.

• It is made up of existing patrol officers who will remain on the special assignment through September.
• The squad is in addition to the regular downtown police beats and security provided from groups like Operation Downtown.

Zoom in: The initial focus is on common violations that diminish the quality-of-life downtown, such as excessive speed or loud vehicles.

• In its first full week, the squad made 12 arrests, wrote 332 citations and issued 68 warnings, according to police data.

Be smart: Most stops were made along Grand Avenue and Locust Street between 6th Avenue and 17th Street.

• Noise violations for things like defective mufflers were among the most common citations, per Parizek.

Flashback: A two-block security barricade system tested along Court Avenue in 2021 was scrapped after complaints that it was unwelcoming and shifted problems to other areas.

• A skywalk camera system was added in 2022.

• City Council this month approved adding two more police officers to patrol downtown.

The big picture: Downtown's crime problems aren't new, but city leaders say they've contributed to the Historic Court District's decline.

• A catalyst for change comes as billions of dollars in investments and thousands more people have taken up downtown residency in the last decade, according to a 2022 assessment commissioned by local governments.

What they're saying: The squad will require ongoing evaluation to determine what else is needed, Councilperson Josh Mandelbaum tells Axios.

• One idea is to have an outreach worker assigned to the area to better connect people with social services.
• Another is to coordinate with bars to better identify and prevent sexual assaults, Mandelbaum says.