Glendale Police turn in their badges

WAITING FOR QUOTEDepartment issues commemorative badges celebrating the city’s centennial to its officers.NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- As the city celebrates its centennial, Glendale Police officers have turned the clock back on an important piece of their uniforms.

The department’s 270 sworn officers put away their regular badges Monday and instead, adorned their uniforms with special centennial commemorative badges.

The badges are replicas of the first badge worn by Glendale officers in 1915, and include a special plate that reads “100 YEARS 1906-2006” to honor the momentous occasion, Glendale Police Officer Teal Metts said.

Metts is the chairman of the centennial badge committee, comprised of department personnel, which came together in 2004.

“It’s a popular way for cities to celebrate anniversaries,” he said. “And it was kind of an overwhelming vote on the badge committee to do the very first badge.”

Glendale residents voted to incorporate the city 100 years ago today, on Feb. 7, 1906 -- the same date the Glendale Police Department was formed -- Glendale Police Sgt. Mario Marchman said. The official incorporation came Feb. 16, 1906.

The commemorative badges will be worn through Feb. 7, 2007, after which the badges will be decommissioned and officers will return to their regular badges, Glendale Police Capt. Leif Nicolaisen said.

The Glendale Police Officers Assn. -- which funded the roughly $15,000 cost to make the badges -- helped department officials distribute the badges Monday night.

“We don’t need one but we wanted one,” Marchman said, referring to the commemorative badges. “It doesn’t happen often in our careers that you work for an agency that gets to celebrate a milestone like 25 years or 50 years.”

The city will host several special events for its big birthday, including a free street party for the community on Feb. 18.

The event -- which will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Brand Boulevard, between Wilson Avenue and Lexington Street -- will feature activities for children, entertainment from local groups, music and dance performances from local schools and historic movies and displays at the Alex Theatre.

Residents and businesses 100 years old or older will be honored with a special mayor’s commendation, said Zizette Ayad, senior administrative analyst with the city.

“This is a special, once-in-a-lifetime celebration and we just want to acknowledge these people or businesses in our program,” she said.

International singer of the year, Andy, who has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, will perform.

The city will host a second centennial event at 7 p.m. on March 25. It will be a formal gala with dinner and entertainment.

The event is open to the public and tickets are $100 per person.

For more information, call (818) 548-6464.

* TANIA CHATILA covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at (818) 637-3232.