Prosecutors in Iowa’s most populous county are launching a website to publicly track and report cases moving through the county’s court system.
People will be able to track the number of cases filed each month, sort them by type of charge, and see how they are opened and dismissed. Offenders’ names and details on charges won’t be included.
Justin Allen, of the Polk County Attorney’s Office, says the data will identify case patterns so they can see where more staff are needed.
“It’s been difficult for us to kind of compare, are they busier than they were a year ago?” Allen says. “Do we have more cases? How does it compare to other dockets in the office?”
Allen says the data will help the county attorney’s office staff members do their jobs more efficiently.
He says, “So having this broad data by charge type, we’ll be able to use it for staffing purposes, both for attorneys and for support staff.”
Allen notes the site will provide more details than what is typically available in most counties. It’s expected to launch later this spring or early summer.
(By Maura Curran, Iowa Public Radio)