The Department of Public Safety denied all or parts of 40 out of 59 record requests it received during the first six months of 2016, a Des Moines Register investigation found. And of the 40 denials, 28 were based on the investigative file exemption – regardless of whether the case is closed, remains under investigation, or went cold three decades ago.
A spot check showed that local law enforcement agencies rarely used the dame exemption. Des Moines police had no record of any requests it has denied citing that exemption in the first six months of 2016. The Polk County sherrif had two.