Des Moines residents report higher overall satisfaction with city services than the average of residents in comparable cities, according to the results of the 2020 Resident Satisfaction Survey, led by ETC Institute for the city. 

According to survey results, 68% of Des Moines residents reported satisfaction with the overall quality of police protection, compared with similar survey results in cities of more than 250,000, where 59% of residents reported similar satisfaction. Forty-five percent of those surveyed were satisfied with the overall effectiveness of city communication, compared with 40% of residents in other cities. Forty-nine percent of residents reported satisfaction in how well the city is planning for growth, compared with 35% of residents in other cities.

The report recommended top priorities for the city to improve, including the enforcement of city ordinances, visibility of police in neighborhoods, and public involvement in decision-making.  

The Des Moines police department has faced high-profile calls by activists this year to take stronger anti-racist actions in officer training and law enforcement duties; a recently filed lawsuit alleges department officers engaged in racial discrimination when they stopped two Black men and claimed to smell marijuana during a 2019 traffic stop, the Des Moines Register reports.

The city of Des Moines has conducted similar resident surveys every two years since 2004, using the results to gauge planning priorities for the next two years. The survey received responses from 864 residents; 73.7% of respondents identified as white, 10.2% identified as Hispanic, and 9.5% identified as Black/African American. Responses were accepted from late August to mid-October of this year. The full report, including responses by category and full demographics, is available online.