Police to Charge for Reports, Statistics

Glendale Police will begin charging a fee of $40 an hour to businesses, such as banks and real estate agencies, that ask for crime reports and statistics from the department, effective immediately.

Police Chief James E. Anthony said that in the past, crime analyst services were usually free to the public.

But requests for those services have increased and have become time consuming, he said.

Banks, for example, ask police yearly to furnish crime reports in areas surrounding their automated teller machines--as required by state law. The department’s crime analyst has spent more than 80 hours annually researching 40 to 50 ATM locations for banks, according to a report.

Real estate agencies also submit crime statistic requests when trying to sell property in Glendale, said Lt. Jack Bilheimer.

The new charge applies to requests for information that would take more than 30 minutes for police to compile. Local, state and federal government agencies, nonprofit and charitable groups and the media are exempt from the fee.

Glendale Police have been charging for public services such as copies of incident reports, photographs, fingerprints and concealed weapons permits.