In 2024, Black drivers in Des Moines received 26.4% of all citations. Yet, Black people are only 12% of the population.  Compare that to white drives living in Des Moines who receive only 53.5% of citations, yet they make up 67% of the city’s population. (2024) (2016 – 2021).

 

Marijuana Arrests – 2016 through 2020

As a percentage of population, Blacks are are arrested at a disproportionate rate for marijuana. While Blacks are 4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than Whites People of other races have about the same likelihood of being arrested for marijuana as Whites.

Black people are arrested at higher rates than white people after being stopped and ticketed.

For more details and data on most years from 2016 through 2024, click on Data Overview below.

Data Overview

11.1x After receiving a ticket for speeding, Black drivers are 11.1 times more likely to be arrested than white drivers. (2024)

3.5x After receiving a ticket for an equipment violation, Blacks are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested, for any reason. (2024)

5.1x After being stopped and ticketed for any reason, Black drivers are 5.1 times more likely to be arrested for “interference with official acts” than white drivers. (2024)

Racial bias plays a part in the daily jobs of DMPD officers.

Of all arrests made by DMPD officers after a traffic stop where a citation was issued, 22% of the time the person was Black.

40% of officers disproportionately arrest Black people.

4.3x

If you’re a Black driver in Des Moines, you are 4.3 times more likely to be issued a WARNIING citation than a white driver. (2024)

2.8x

If you are a Black driver in Des Moines, you are 2.8 times more likely to be issued a citation for a traffic violation than if you were a white driver. (2024)

2.6x

If you are a Black driver in Des Moines, you are 2.6 times more likely to be issued a citation for speeding than a White driver. (2024)

There are racial disparities in Iowa across many quality of life areas.

Income

The median income of African American households in Iowa in 2019 was $35,548. The median income of families in Iowa was $61,691. (State Data Center 2022 Report).

Incarceration

Black people are 4% of Iowa’s population, yet Black people are 25% of Iowa’s prison population. (ACLU of Iowa – 2023))

Poverty

In Iowa in 2019, 27.3% of African Americans live in poverty, compared with a statewide poverty rate of 11.2%. (State Data Center 2022 Report).