Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 77 No. 41
INSIDE
This Week THE VOICE OF BUSINESS
NEWS...............6 Build-to-rent community to offer 204 homes
www.glendalestar.com
Glendale launches veterans court BY MADISON PERALES Glendale Star Staff Writer
The city of Glendale has launched its veterans court to provide the necessary programs to assist former military members who have committed crimes. Mayor Jerry Weiers said he was excited about the Oct. 1 unveiling and praised one of his newer judges. “After becoming the mayor of Glendale, I worked hard for years to get this project started,” Weiers said. “I am so proud that our new presiding judge understands the importance of the veterans court and is fi-
Glendale Star Staff Writer
Volunteering strengthens mother-daughter bond
OPINION....................... 8 BUSINESS.................. 12 FEATURES.................. 18 RELIGION ................... 22 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 24
nally making this dream happen.” When people in the military come home from serving for the United States, most of them are changed. A study from NCBI shows that out of 60,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, 13.5% of them have PTSD. Veterans who have been charged with a crime will be screened at the court for eligibility into the program. “The screening is a two-part process,” Glendale’s City Court Presiding Judge Nicholas DiPiazza said. “There will be a screening by the city prosecutor.” This includes looking at the convicted
person’s case, the charges and the defendant’s record. “The second part of the screening will involve the Veterans Administration confirming that the individual is, in fact, a U.S. service member,” DiPiazza said. If the person meets the requirements, they can begin the process. The court offers several programs depending on the veteran’s needs. They have treatments that can address problems like substance abuse, anger management and violence. SEE COURT PAGE 3
Police to use drones for air support BY MADISON PERALES
NEWS...............7
October 7, 2021
The Glendale Police Department is providing its officers and residents with an added layer of protection with air support from drones for dispatch work. “We’ve always had a need for air support,” said Colby Brant, Glendale Police Department’s assistant chief. “The only issue for us is that we don’t have a helicopter.” The police department partnered with Vector Solutions, which provides its materials and training. The department will use drones for 911 calls and other emergency calls for service such as crimes in progress, fires, vehicle crashes and other public safety concerns. Drones will also be utilized for criminal
investigations to assist in the reconstruction of crime scenes. As for traffic collisions, drones are equipped with precision measuring/mapping software along with the ability to obtain photographs from the air. All of this helps the investigator during the reconstruction process, Brant said. “In some cases, it’s dropping our time on scene, about half,” Brant said. “It gets people moving back on the roadways a lot quicker.” The other benefit to having these drones is they come in handy when trying to find a specific person. “A couple of weeks ago, we had two suspects inside a large industrial yard. We knew we had them contained SEE DRONES PAGE 4
Through a partnership with Vector Solutions, the Glendale Police Department is receiving air support from drones. (Submitted photo)
HUD Assisted Living Available! 623-847-3104 www.glencroft.com
