Keep Bailing

A new rule has been put into place that will keep taxpayers from having to foot the bill for those jailed in Glendale. The Glendale Police Department has begun charging a $135 fee to each defendant booked into the Glendale jail.

Officials state this new fine will help the city recover thousands in administrative costs. According to a Police report, the court will impose the fine as part of the civil judgement, and as a condition of their probation. The city reports that the money can help with purchasing fingerprint equipment, storage, photographs and other administrative costs.

Glendale has been charging this fee to those convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) since 1997 and has collected about $31,000 in fees. With the expanded fee, the city could re-claim as much as $157,000 per year if just 15% of those arrested pay the fee.

Sounds reasonable: “You play, you pay.“