Greenbelt council authorizes three‑year subscription to Thomson Reuters CLEAR, residents ask for data-source details

The Greenbelt City Council authorized a three‑year contract with Thomson Reuters for access to the CLEAR investigative database at a total cost of $15,737.28 (annual increases are built into the contract). The police department reported that a 30‑day trial produced actionable leads for several investigations and helped with identity verification and subpoenas.

Lieutenant Parsons told council members that CLEAR consolidates many public records and is widely used in the National Capital Region for investigative research. "CLEAR is... an online investigative database, for law enforcement personnel that encompasses a wide variety of public records and information," Parsons said during the presentation.

Council members and residents raised questions about the proprietary sources CLEAR aggregates, access auditing, retention and whether CLEAR would receive data provided by Greenbelt Police. Parsons said the city will not submit data to CLEAR; the department uses CLEAR to access records already contained in the vendor's database. Staff agreed to provide follow‑up details on which proprietary sources CLEAR uses and to show how CLEAR audits and logs access.

The contract includes 50 user accounts (the vendor's minimum) and excludes optional LPR (license‑plate reader) add-ons that would increase cost. Council members asked for regular metrics tying CLEAR usage to investigative outcomes so future cost increases can be evaluated against results.

After discussion, council authorized the city manager to execute the three‑year contract. Members requested a follow‑up memo describing the vendor's proprietary data sources, the department's general order governing access and periodic reporting on case outcomes tied to use of the system.