Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
West Des Moines, Iowa, in Polk County, has about 74,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from West Des Moines depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: West Des Moines public records, Polk County police reports, West Des Moines arrest records, West Des Moines warrants, West Des Moines inmate search, West Des Moines property records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from West Des Moines
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside West Des Moines that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as West Des Moines Police Department); outside it, the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also carries Polk County Conservation Law Enforcement (other agency), with a records office of its own.
The Carlisle Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Polk County, so its arrests are not broken out for Polk County here.
Reports from the West Des Moines Police
For West Des Moines, SearchSystems opened and checked the West Des Moines police records page at wdm.iowa.gov/government/police/learn-about-us/records (page title: Records | West Des Moines, IA), phone 515-222-3320, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for West Des Moines had 110 violent and 1,145 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,100 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Polk County Sheriff's Office
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 78 violent and 442 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,458 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at polkinmates.polkcountyiowa.gov (page title: Jail & Arrest Information | Polk Inmates), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
What the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) Requires
The Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) sets the rules: an answer without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified, at a charge of the actual cost of copying and retrieval, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in West Des Moines?
From the agency that took it. The West Des Moines police records page is at wdm.iowa.gov, phone 515-222-3320; the sheriff's reports come from the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in West Des Moines have to answer?
Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22), without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified. It may charge the actual cost of copying and retrieval.
How do I get a report from the Polk County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22) the answer is due without delay; the law sets no fixed number of days, and a delay past 20 days must be justified.
Is this the official West Des Moines website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.