For a copy of an accident report, contact the records office at (641) 236-2670 ext. 2 or come by the Police Department at 1020 Spring Street between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. It is recommended to call in advance to verify the report is completed.

Accident reports are also available online through Crashdocs.org (powered by Carfax). It can take up to two weeks for an accident report to be available through the site. 

Iowa driving records are maintained by the Iowa Department of Transportation. To obtain a certified copy of your driving record (fee $5.50), contact the Iowa Department of Transportation at (800) 532-1121 or (515) 244-9124.

Appointments for fingerprinting required, call 641-236-2670 choose option #2.  You must provide the fingerprint card , photo identification , and $20.00 cash or check. We are unable to accept credit cards. The standard fingerprint form FD-258 is available online for downloading. When printing out your own FD-258 card remember to use card stock. Standard copy paper does not work for fingerprinting purposes.

Yes, it is possible to have criminal background checks done on employees; however the Grinnell Police Department cannot share criminal history information. If you or your business needs criminal background checks, state law allows only the Division of Criminal Investigation to process checks. The Division of Criminal Investigation is based out of the Wallace Building at the State Capitol.

If you want to recognize an officer or employee for excellent service, you can:

• Complete the commendation form or any other written communication to let us know the details and mail it to the police department with attention to the Chief of Police.
• Complete the commendation form or any other written communication to let us know the details and email to djohnson@grinnelliowa.gov.
• Call (641) 236-2670 and ask to speak with a supervisor.

For written communication, we can be reached at:

Grinnell Police Department
ATTN: Chief of Police
1020 Spring Street
Grinnell, Iowa 50112

 All comments are appreciated!

Yes. A prescription drug drop box is located in the Public Safety Building Lobby during normal business hours ( Monday - Friday  7:30am - 4:30 pm ).

If you have a concern about our delivery of police service or would like to file a complaint about the conduct of a member of the department, you can start the process of resolving the concern in any of the following manners:

• Speak with an on-duty police department member and let them know you want to make a complaint. They will provide you with a complaint form for completion, or if you are unwilling or unable to complete the form, they will complete it for you and summarize your complaint. 
• Complete the complaint form and submit the form by mailing it to the Public Safety Building or dropping it off. Complaint forms or other correspondence may also be emailed to djohnson@grinnelliowa.gov.
• Call the Internal Affairs administrator at (641) 236-2670 ext. 3212. If you leave a message, please provide the date, time, type of incident, and any other important information. A supervisor will call you back as soon as possible and gather any additional information necessary to follow up on the complaint.

We aim to investigate and resolve complaints and concerns within 30 days. If the investigation takes longer, you will be notified of the progress. When the investigation is complete, you will receive a response from the Chief of Police or a designated command person from the police department regarding the outcome.

While we notify the complainant about the outcome of the administrative investigation, most personnel actions are not subject to open records laws and cannot be released.

In the complaint resolution process, we often meet with the complainant to have an open dialogue about the incident and work to see both sides of an issue. Depending on the circumstances of the encounter surrounding the complaint, it can be helpful to view the video when meeting with the investigator. This allows everyone to reflect on the situation and understand why specific steps were taken. In situations where video is unavailable, we will still do our best to work with the complainant to review the circumstances of the complaint.

Records released under Iowa Code Chapter 22 (Open Records) may be purchased through the Records office. Please contact (641) 236-2670 ext. 2, email, or come by the police department between 7:30am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Call in advance to verify that the records are releasable and/or ready.