FAQs

If your vehicle was impounded by Ankeny Police you need to obtain an impound release from the Police Department at 411 SW Ordnance Rd.

If the sirens are activated, it is signaling residents that a tornado is or is highly likely to be near. Take action immediately to protect yourself, your family and your pets.

If you are in a home or building, go to the basement (if available) or to an interior room on the lowest floor, such as a closet or bathroom. Stay away from glass enclosed places or areas with wide-span roofs (such as auditoriums and warehouses). Wrap yourself in overcoats or blankets to protect yourself from flying debris. Crouch down and cover your head.

If you are in a car or mobile home, abandon them immediately. Most deaths occur in cars and mobile homes. Leave them and go to a substantial structure or designated tornado shelter. If no suitable structure is nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch or depression and use your hands to cover your head.

You may submit your concerns by calling the Ankeny Police Department at 515-289-5240 during regular office hours.

If you are concerned about an emergency siren in your area, contact the Administrative Offices of the Ankeny Fire Department at 515-965-6469.

The warning sirens are only activated if the National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for this area (northern Polk County) or if an actual sighting occurs by a public safety official.

The outdoor warning system is designed only to inform those who are outside in open areas, of a tornado issued for the area. The system is not designed to warn residents within the confines of a residential, commercial, educational or other occupancy. The sirens are activated by the dispatch consol at the Polk County Communications Center.

You may receive emergency broadcast information from any of the local network television stations, local radio stations or NOAA weather radio systems.

No, the warning signs will not be reactivated to signal an “all clear.” In the event that a previously issued tornado warning expires and a new tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service, the warning system will be activated again in response to the new warning.

MidAmerican Energy provides electricity to properties in the city of Ankeny. If your power goes out during a storm or other emergency, call MidAmerican’s 24 hour customer service line at 888-427-5632. Even if the outage appears to be throughout your neighborhood, assuming someone else has called to report the outage can delay response time.

MidAmerican reports the following guidelines are used to prioritize outage restoration:

1. The ability to restore service to as many customers as possible through switching and repair of transmission lines. Transmission line repair restores power to a large number of customers.
   
2. Public health and safety issues, for example, hospitals, emergency facilities and municipal flood pumps.
   
3. Outage area size or magnitude.
   

During the entire restoration process, periodic assessments are made to determine facility repair and replacement progress, possible trouble spots and additional resource needs.

The Polk County 9-1-1 system includes both automatic number identification and automatic location identification. These enhancements display to a dispatcher the caller's telephone number and the location from which the 9-1-1 call is being placed. These features allow a 9-1-1 dispatcher to call you back and/or send help when a 9-1-1 call is accidentally disconnected or the caller is unable to communicate.

The 9-1-1 system is also equipped to assist callers with disabilities. The integrated TTY (Teletype) computer allows callers with hearing deficits or speech impediments to call 911 with their TTY-equipped phones. The conversation is then carried on by typing text. This allows all citizens the ability to request help in emergencies.

Yes. Current federal regulations require that 911 Centers and cell phone companies have the capacity to locate a cell phone caller regardless of their location. In accordance with this regulation, all cell phones are equipped with a GPS locator that is activated only when the operator places a 911 call.

Please feel free to contact the Ankeny Fire Department at 515-965-6469 during regular office hours or Polk County Emergency Management Department at 515-286-2107.

Communication Officers within the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Should you accidentally dial 911, please stay on the phone line. As soon as your finger depresses the last one of 911, the call has been placed. Please explain your mistake to the 911 Operator. We appreciate your assistance.

Yes, it is possible to have criminal background checks done on employees, however the Ankeny Police Dept. 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.

The Ankeny Police Department reports are considered confidential intelligence information under Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code. This is to protect the confidentiality of persons named in the report and to guarantee the information is admissible in court proceedings. The use of the subpoena is protection to all persons concerned. Be aware that many times information is already part of the public record.

The Polk County 9-1-1 system includes both automatic number identification and automatic location identification. These enhancements display to a dispatcher the caller's telephone number and the location from which the 9-1-1 call is being placed. These features allow a 9-1-1 dispatcher to call you back and/or send help when a 9-1-1 call is accidentally disconnected or the caller is unable to communicate.

The 9-1-1 system is also equipped to assist callers with disabilities. The integrated TTY (Teletype) computer allows callers with hearing deficits or speech impediments to call 911 with their TTY-equipped phones. The conversation is then carried on by typing text. This allows all citizens the ability to request help in emergencies.

The Ankeny Police Department does not generally unlock vehicles. The only exception is an emergency situation such as a child locked inside a running vehicle. This is due the increasing complexity of car security systems and side-impact airbags, attempts to open may cause damage to vehicle or injury to an officer. Please contact a locksmith to open vehicles.

The Police Department contracts with Polk County Animal Control. Stray animals are taken to the Animal Rescue League. Unless the animal is to be quarantined (i.e. the animal bit someone) the facility does not have the capacity to accommodate cats. However, the Police Department does provide live-trap cages for the removal of cats to the Animal Rescue League at 5452 NE 22 St (south of Ankeny on Delaware Avenue).