Crime & Safety in West Des Moines, IA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
1.65
per 1,000 residents
-63% vs national
Property Crime Rate
17.14
per 1,000 residents
-21% vs national
Total Crimes
1,378
2024
Violent Clearance
57%
cases solved
+34% vs national
Property Clearance
35%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-51%
vs 50K-100K avg
-51% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
-5.4%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How West Des Moines Compares
Source: FBI (2024)West Des Moines vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. West Des Moines is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)West Des Moines police solve 63% of aggravated assault cases but only 12% of burglary cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 0 | 0.00 | N/A |
| Rape | Violent | 16 | 0.22 | 31.3% |
| Robbery | Violent | 9 | 0.12 | 33.3% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 96 | 1.31 | 62.5% |
| Burglary | Property | 84 | 1.15 | 11.9% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,079 | 14.71 | 37.4% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 94 | 1.28 | 24.5% |
West Des Moines, IA reported 121 violent crimes and 1,257 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 1.65 per 1,000 residents is 63.2% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 57% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,079 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 10.4% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), West Des Moines's violent crime rate is 51% lower. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 121 | 1,257 | 1.65 | 17.14 |
| 2023 | 125 | 1,574 | 1.74 | 21.96 |
| 2022 | 179 | 1,219 | 2.53 | 17.24 |
| 2021 | 98 | 1,124 | 1.39 | 15.96 |
| 2020 | 99 | 1,184 | 1.43 | 17.10 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2017 | 17 | 119 | 0.26 | 1.80 |
| 2016 | 149 | 1,513 | 2.27 | 23.05 |
| 2015 | 130 | 1,464 | 2.00 | 22.52 |