A Surge in Demand Strains Police Resources

While surrounding municipalities continue to provide the service at no charge, the Norwood Police Department has instituted a new fee for public fingerprinting due to a massive surge in requests. According to Norwood police spokesman Paul Bishop, the department has witnessed a steady climb in numbers over the past year.

“We’ve seen an overall increase in fingerprinting, it’s really been picking up,” Bishop explained. What was once considered an occasional administrative task has ballooned into a steady stream of about 15 people visiting the station each week.

Why Citizens Need Prints

Residents seek fingerprinting services for a diverse array of professional and legal reasons. Employers frequently mandate ink prints for individuals applying for positions in law enforcement, private security, and the federal government. Additionally, immigration authorities require fingerprint submissions for individuals pursuing American citizenship, while a growing assortment of professional licenses also makes the process mandatory. For instance, police in neighboring towns noted recent requests ranging from standard security clearances to specialized permits, such as a man who visited a nearby station applying for a horse-racing license.

The $5 Fee and Regional Ripple Effects

Because the process consumes significant officer time away from core municipal duties, the Norwood Board of Selectmen officially approved plans to charge the public $5 for a complete set of prints.

“We don’t think this will cut down on the number of requests, but it should cover our time,” Bishop noted. “Every time we fingerprint, that’s town time we should be spending on other matters. This way it goes back into the town coffers.”

This decision makes Norwood an outlier in the immediate region. Police departments in Dedham, Canton, Westwood, Walpole, and Sharon continue to offer fingerprinting entirely free of charge. Law enforcement officials across the region attribute the overall spike in demand to an increase in citizenship applicants and a growing corporate and governmental emphasis on security clearances. Sharon police Sgt. Harold Donovan reported averaging about 10 requests per week, noting that his department restricts the service to town residents only.

Neighboring towns are already monitoring the situation closely. Westwood Patrolman Christopher Sheehy remarked, “If we found that a lot of Norwood people were coming in now because we don’t charge, we’d probably start to charge.”

As for Norwood residents facing the new policy, Paul Bishop offered one final, tongue-in-cheek reassurance regarding the department’s fee structure: “If you get arrested, we’ll fingerprint you for free, no extra charge.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger