Police Department - Homeland Security Bureau
Major Leonard Murray
The Homeland Security Bureau's mission is to protect the lives of Des Moines residents and visitors, as well as their property from natural or man-made disasters. This is accomplished though a multi-layered process that includes:
- Prevention and Protection
- Information Analysis and Information Sharing
- Preparedness and Response
Units providing these services in the Homeland Security Bureau include Metro Special Tactics and Response (S.T.A.R); Airport Security, Bomb Squad and the Fusion Center. The Bureau is comprised of officers from the Des Moines Police Department and Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. These officers and deputies are either assigned to the Bureau on a full-time basis with Bureau functions as their sole responsibility or ad hoc, meaning they have full-time assignments in other areas, but respond as part of the Homeland Security Bureau during emergencies. Bringing together all these units under one Bureau provides a comprehensive approach to multi-hazard incident management from prevention and detection to response and recovery. Additionally, the Homeland Security Bureau trains and responds with the Des Moines Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team and the Iowa National Guard's 71st Civil Support Team.
Besides providing services to the citizens and visitors of Des Moines, the Bureau responds to calls from surrounding agencies for a variety of bomb, tactical, planning and training services. Additionally, the Bureau has agreements with the Metropolitan Advisory Council, Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
- The Homeland Security Bureau consists of:
- Airport Unit
- Bomb Squad
- Fusion Center
- Metro S.T.A.R.
City of Des Moines, Iowa
Police Department
- 25 East First Street
- Des Moines, Iowa 50309
- E-mail: Information Center
- Web Site: http://www.dmgov.org