Marijuana Related Stops by the Des Moines, Iowa Police

2016 – 2020 ANALYSIS

Unlike 18 other states, possession of recreational marijuana is still illegal in Iowa.  The myth that Black people use marijuana more than white people is simply not true. According to an ACLU report issued in 2020, Blacks in Iowa are 7.26 times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana than whites. This make Iowa the 5th worst state in the United States for disproportionate arrests for possession. Here’s the data on marijuana bookings (arrests) for Des Moines, broken down by race.

White Black Hispanic Other Total
2016
Marijuana
Arrests		 491 230 62 15 798
Paraphernalia
Arrests		 175 30 25 4 234
2017
Marijuana
Arrests		 437 211 67 10 725
Paraphernalia
Arrests		 189 39 21 6 255
2018
Marijuana
Arrests		 117 65 19 6 207
Paraphernalia
Arrests		 59 12 1 2 74
2019
Marijuana
Arrests		 64 26 6 3 99
Paraphernalia
Arrests		 49 12 3 2 66
2020
Marijuana
Arrests		 48 21 9 0 78
Paraphernalia
Arrests		 23 7 4 0 34
Total Arrests
Marijuana		 1,157 553 163 34 1,907
Total Paraphernalia
Arrests		 495 100 54 14 663

Data Analysis of the Special Enforcement Team (SET) From 2016 through 2020

Marijuana enforcement in Des Moines is increased each year during the months of April through September by a police unit known as the Special Enforcement Team (SET). Our data on the SET team specifically covers the years 2016 through 2020.

Marijuana Special Enforcement Team Data
Total # of Stops Total Grams Collected Median* # Days Where Marijuana Collected >100 grams
2016 1,889 2786.5 3 4
2017 1,470 1424 5 2
2018 1,742 3628 19 5
2019 1,238 1911.5 4 4
2020 252 2691 5.5 7

*Median shows that on days where marijuana was found, more than one-half of the amount found was less than the number shown in the column.  For example, in 2016, on days where marijuana was found, more than half of the marijuana found was 3 grams or less. .

The ACLU, released a report in April 2020, that found:

  • Blacks in Iowa are 7.26 times more likely to be arrested for possession of Marijuana than Whites. This makes Iowa the 5th worst state in the United States for disproportionate arrests

Iowa’s Marijuana Stats Mirror Other States

Our analysis is also consistent with the findings of a study of over 20 million traffic stops in North Carolina. That study, and the analysis of it, are contained in a book, Suspect Citizens.  The conclusions from that book included the following for North Carolina:

  • Arrest worthy contraband is rare in traffic stops;
  • Finding contraband occurs in only 10% of searches;
  • The contraband found is almost always singular (i.e. personal use);
  • The tactics do not appear to have any readily apparent crime fighting benefits;
  • The negative consequences on community trust are significant; and
  • Traffic stops are a remarkable blunt and inefficient tool for crime fighting.

Each of these statements can apply to the Des Moines Police Department. We are continuing to analyze the data and attempt to identify the actual charges that were filed against the people found with marijuana. From there, Just Voices Iowa will review the records of Iowa Courts online to determine the outcome of those cases.

Des Moines Marijuana Enforcement Task Force Recommendations

In June 2020, the Des Moines City Council approved a resolution to form a task force to study making marijuana a low-level police enforcement priority.  The Marijuana Enforcement Task Force completed their work in October 2020. You can read the report and their recommendations in  DM Marijuana Enforcement Task Force Report.