Des Moines police say they need 80 more officers to keep calls from piling up.

Why it matters: A police shortage is straining emergency response, but fixing it would require millions of dollars the cash-strapped city does not have.

Driving the news: The department gave the City Council two workload reviews last week, which found that patrol officers spend about 80% of their available time answering calls, above the 60% benchmark used by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

• The department exceeded that threshold during 16 of 24 hours and averaged about 14 fewer working officers per hour than recommended.

Zoom in: DMPD was authorized for 375 sworn officers as of December, including patrol officers, supervisors, investigators and those assigned to specialized units.

• Of those, 193 were primarily responsible for answering patrol calls. Patrol would receive most of the additional positions the department is seeking.

The fine print: Police employees applied two national workload models to the department's 2025 data.

• A U.S. Department of Justice and Michigan State University model found that DSM needs at least 36 additional patrol officers to leave 40% of their time for duties beyond responding to calls.
• The ICMA model examined the patrol's share of total staffing, hourly workload and total service time.

State of play: Police favored the ICMA-based recommendation of 80 additional officers, including 48 for patrol, because adding only patrol officers would still leave the department short of ICMA's recommended staffing balance, Sgt. Paul Parizek tells Axios.

By the numbers: A starting officer earns around $85,000 a year before overtime and benefits.

• The department's current operating budget is about $92.2 million, up from $89.3 million the previous year.

What they're saying: City Manager Scott Sanders tells Axios his office does not believe the staffing studies fairly account for technology and evolving police practices, but the city has no plans for a separate review.

• A joint statement from three DSM police organizations says authorized staffing has remained virtually unchanged since the 1970s despite population growth, warning that proposed cuts would increase overtime and worsen officer fatigue and burnout.

What we're watching: Whether the staffing findings influence Sanders' recommended budget cuts, which he is scheduled to present to the City Council on Aug. 26.

• The city's citizen budget survey closes on Friday, with results expected in early August.

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An Ankeny mom is opening an inclusive, kid-friendly cafe, where their parents can connect (or disconnect) without helicoptering their kids.

Why it matters: Megan Holtz was inspired to create a fun space for her 8-year-old son, Vinny, who has sensory processing disorder. Now she's opening Whimsy & Wonder Play Cafe this fall, along with her husband, Mitch.

How it started: Before Vinny's diagnosis, Holtz says, she and her husband didn't understand why he struggled after going to high-energy places like trampoline parks. He had a hard time socializing and could "bounce off the walls" or be very emotional, she tells Axios.

• After going to occupational therapy, they learned techniques to help him and what environments he thrived in.
• During a trip to Omaha, they went to a play cafe that he enjoyed, though it was designed for kids under 5. Then they stopped by a sensory room, which he loved, and that's when Holtz and her husband decided they needed something similar back home.

State of play: Holtz, who also has a 6- and 2-year-old, found a 12,000-square-foot former office space in Ankeny. They researched how to make the future play space inclusive, including a gentle teal color scheme and quiet-flush toilets.

• There are three zones, including a soft play area for infants and a giant play town with a garden, trikes, a balance bridge, a horizontal climbing wall, slides and a play cafe.
• Sensory-friendly amenities include special swings, a cozy canoe with comforting compression and tactile boards to keep kids busy.

Plus: The cafe will serve coffee roasted by Curious Joe Coffee and include allergy-sensitive foods.

• People can make reservations, purchase passes and memberships or drop in.

What's next: Holtz plans to open in late October at 2325 SW State Street, Suite A, Ankeny.

Go deeper

💰 Polk County Supervisors unanimously approved extending the YMCA of Greater DSM's grace period by another year, allowing it to go without making payments on a $6.4 million loan. (Axios)

🤌 The Iowa State Fair's new $99 chicken nuggets and caviar dish from JR's Southpork Ranch includes 10 nuggets, crème fraîche, an ounce of caviar and a "mother of pearl" caviar spoon. (Des Moines Register)

👀 A rail bridge at Northwest Second Street in Polk County has been struck by a truck for the second time in two weeks. (KCCI)

💵 Ankeny is holding a special election for a 1-cent special location option sales tax on Sept. 8. If the majority of voters approve it, half of the sales tax revenue would go toward property tax relief, while the other half would go toward capital projects. (Business Record)

ICON Water Trails has completed in-river construction at Principal Point, including the installation of its whitewater waveshaper, which creates surfable conditions.

Why it matters: The Scott Avenue site in downtown DSM is expected to become a key river recreation destination when it opens to the public in spring 2027.

Driving the news: Experienced kayakers, engineers and whitewater park pros will soon begin testing and tuning the wave feature for safety and recreation.

• It's part of the overall $125 million regional water trails project.

Yes, but: The site remains closed while waveshaper tuning and upland construction continue.

What's next: Public amenities at the Scott Avenue site will include a canoe and kayak launch, gathering spaces, trail connections, signage and landscaping.

• The Hubbell Trailhead at Fleur Drive, which will offer beginner-friendly whitewater recreation near Gray's Lake, is under construction and expected to be completed in 2028.

Check it out: ICON will host a public happy hour and Q&A from 5-7pm on Aug. 4 at SingleSpeed Brewing, 303 Scott Ave., DSM.