Des Moines police face staffing shortages and potential budget cuts
DES MOINES, Iowa —
The Des Moines Police Department is facing potential budget cuts that could further reduce its workforce and affect public safety.
Many communities across the State are working to figure out future budget shortfalls as a result of legislation passed by lawmakers at the statehouse earlier this year. It caps the amount of property tax revenue cities can take in.
With a $12 million budget shortfall looming over the City of Des Moines, the department could lose six investigators and six patrol officers. These cuts would save the city nearly $2 million in fiscal year 2028 but would have significant consequences.
In 1976, the department had approximately 376 officers to respond to calls, perform outreach, and lead investigations. Fifty years later, in 2026, that number has fallen to 373.
“We have been operating with essentially the same number of officers for 50 years,” the department said.
Despite adapting to fewer resources, the department expressed concern about sustaining further reductions.
“We’ve become masters of doing more with less, and that probably makes us kind of unique in government. But, right now we’re just at that point where we can’t sustain any more cuts,” the department said.
Staffing remains the department’s biggest issue. A recent internal staffing study recommended adding 80 officers across the department, with a bare minimum increase of 32 officers in the patrol division.
“People are going to see longer wait times when it comes to a call response. You might not be able to talk to a detective for days if you have an investigation going on, because if there’s not enough people there to do the work, the work isn’t going to get done,” the department said.
Cuts are also being discussed for other city departments, including fire, parks and recreation, and library services. This has created a unique dynamic among departments.
“We’re not advocating for, you know, we want their money to give it to us. We need to make sure that we’re getting everything balanced. And everybody takes a good, solid look at it. And public safety, in most people’s opinion, shouldn’t be part of the conversation about cuts,” the department said.
The city council will not vote on budget changes until September, leaving the department in a state of uncertainty.
“We know that they’re going to be tough and we know that they’re going to be really challenging. We just hope that they make the ones that are going to be the best for the community,” the department said.
For now, the Des Moines Police Department is holding its breath.
