INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER* KIMBERLY GLENN

ID 8979

SDPD 07/01/1980 - 12/15/2010

11/01/1942 - 07/11/2021

THE THIN BLUE LINE

* Civilian equivalent to Police Captain

Kimberly Glenn

Kimberly Glenn was born in Los Angeles California, on November 1, 1942, the only child of parents who had only recently left the turmoil of pre-war Argentina.

Kimberly always spoke of a happy childhood. She fondly recalled accompanying her father on his favorite pastime of visiting the many local beaches. With her mother, she became a skilled and avid shopper, an interest she never lost.

Completing high school in Los Angeles, Kimberly began her undergraduate work at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles before transferring to the University of California Riverside, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.

During this time, Kimberly met and married a fellow student, John Timm.  Together, the couple moved to the Bay Area, where John received his PHD in  Engineering from Stanford University and Kimberly her Masters Degree in Political Science from San Jose State University.

Upon completion of their studies, the couple spent two years in Yugoslavia, where John had been awarded a post-graduate fellowship to study the design and manufacturing of surgical implements.  Kimberly remembered a very small and marginally heated apartment in Belgrade.  She also recalled the kindness of those she met and the fraternity of those visiting from abroad.

Upon returning to the United States, the couple chose to reside in San Diego.  John began work with the Navy at Pt. Loma and Kimberly joined the City of San Diego as an administrative analyst with the City’s Productivity Improvement Program in the Financial Management Department.

Kimberly transferred to the Police Department in 1980 and assumed leadership of the Crime Analysis and Data Systems Units.  At that point,  the field of crime analysis was in its infancy.  Under Kimberly’s leadership, the San Diego Crime Analysis Unit became the leading crime analysis unit in the nation.  Kimberly’s leadership and efforts provided officers in the Department with cutting edge information and tools that significantly aided their ability to investigate and solve crimes and arrest offenders.  This crucial information on current crimes trends and series in San Diego neighborhoods greatly assisted patrol and investigative units in developing strategic plans that would effectively target those crimes and thereby make those neighborhoods safer.  Hundreds of departments throughout the nation visited the unit to copy the products and services that were so effective in San Diego. 

Similarly, police data collection and analysis was just emerging, and Kimberly led that growth in the rapidly expanding Data Systems Section.  She was also instrumental in organizing the Records Management System, which was implemented Department-wide and created a system for patrol officers and detectives to quickly manage reports using an automated system.  Additionally, Kimberly was instrumental in obtaining over $1.5 million in grant funds for the department.

Early in her work with the Police Department, Kimberly’s husband John died suddenly. Kimberly never remarried. She instead devoted herself to her many friends and to her beloved crime analysis and data processing units, where she remained a passionate advocate for some thirty plus years.

In 2012 Kimberly was diagnosed with terminal melanoma and was given mere months to live.  Never one to give up easily and with her strong analytical mind, Kimberly researched the subject of cancerous tumors extensively.  She came across a study description for a new T-cell inhibitory therapy that promised the possibility of an enhanced anti-tumor immune response and tumor rejection. The study was the brain child of Dr. Jim Allison, who later won a Nobel Prize for his work.  Through her own efforts, Kimberly joined a pioneering study at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and because she did so, enjoyed nearly 10 more years of a very good life.

Kimberly grew all types of fruits and vegetables in her large home garden and shared them all with her friends.  She was an amazing cook and hostess and a great friend to many.  Kimberly loved animals and shared her home with many dogs, mostly her beloved Welsh corgis.

In addition to her work and friends, Kimberly received great satisfaction from her charitable support of the Rancho Coastal Humane Society and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Basic information is provided as a courtesy and is obtained from a variety of sources including public data, museum files and or other mediums.  While the San Diego Police Historical Association strives for accuracy, there can be issues beyond our control which renders us unable to attest to the veracity of what is presented. More specific information may be available if research is conducted.  Research is done at a cost of $50 per hour with no assurances of the outcome.  For additional info please contact us.