Under pressure, Des Moines shifts to new police training

Yesterday, Mayor Frank Cownie announced that Des Moines’ “current de-escalation training session,” led by officers Michael Fong and Sean O’Neill, who have a history of excessive force, has “come to a close.”  

The city announced they will move forward with a third-party training program with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) based in Washington, DC. 

In response, Lori Young, a member of Iowa CCI's Racial Justice Team, said: 

“This announcement from Mayor Cownie didn't fall out of the sky. It happened because of direct action and community organizing. 

The people of Des Moines have spent years calling for an end to racist police practices.  We have spent months calling for Michael Fong and Sean O’Neill to be removed from this training.  

This step is only one of many city officials need to take to address problems with policing in our community. The council must move ahead with CCI's racial profiling ordinance, immediately making marijuana the lowest-level law enforcement priority and establishing a fully independent Community Review Board." 

Commenting on the path going forward, Sharon Zanders-Ackiss, Iowa CCI's Racial Justice organizer, said: 

"After last night's meeting, our members are hopeful, and we also know there is still work to be done. CCI members will continue to monitor the new proposed training. The community must have transparent, public input in the implementation of this training (and any city policy). 

We cannot have any more closed-door trainings or closed-door meetings. Any future work for de-escalation and accountability must be led by survivors of police brutality, and it must not increase DMPD's budget. 

We will never give up and we will never give in. The power of the people won't stop."