DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines police officer is suing the city and the facilities operation manager after she says they failed to address the danger of lead contamination for those working at the Des Moines Police Academy facility.
In a lawsuit filed on Jan. 7, Sgt. Jennifer Grose says the academy facility has a known history of lead contamination issues, which the suit says likely stems from the firing range inside. Grose claims that despite the facility’s known history with lead, the city of Des Moines and Kirk Robinson, the city’s facilities operation manager, did not properly address the danger.
Additionally, Grose says city officials and/or senior command staff initially did not allow her to submit an exposure report after blood tests confirmed “significantly elevated levels of lead in her blood.” Other officers working at the academy also had elevated blood lead levels in testing, the suit says…