State Declines Probe Into Gilbert Police Database Searches
Arizona's Department of Public Safety says it has not opened an investigation or administrative review into searches of police records involving a newspaper reporter.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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The Arizona Department of Public Safety has not opened an investigation into Gilbert Police Department database searches involving Arizona Republic reporter Robert Anglen, spokesperson Randi Wybron said. The agency earlier said it was conducting an administrative review, a statement DPS spokesperson Bart Graves later corrected.
Why it matters
The dispute raises questions about whether state law allows DPS to audit a police agency at the request of an outside party. The request was made by incoming Gilbert councilmember Beth Goulden, who asked whether a reporter's name was searched in police databases and whether a law enforcement purpose existed.
DPS says it has not opened an investigation or administrative review, and the statute authorizing its audits does not explicitly provide for targeted audits requested by an outside party. Whether the searches occurred and for what purpose has not been established.
The players
Arizona Department of Public Safety
The state law enforcement agency that oversees periodic audits of police agencies across Arizona.
Gilbert Police Department
The municipal police force of Gilbert, Arizona, whose database searches are the subject of the request.
Michael Soelberg
The Gilbert Police Chief whose authorization of any database searches Goulden's request asks DPS to examine.
The details
Councilmember-elect Beth Goulden asked DPS in an October 20 email to investigate whether Anglen's name or information was looked up in Gilbert police databases during his reporting on the "Gilbert Goons." The request followed a Gilbert internal investigation into the source of a 2024 false rumor about Anglen.
Timeline
2024: A false rumor about Republic reporter Robert Anglen circulates.
Roughly one month before Goulden's request: Gilbert begins an internal investigation into the rumor's source.
October 20: Goulden emails DPS requesting an investigation into the database searches.
One week before the correction: DPS spokesperson Bart Graves says the agency is conducting an administrative review.
Legal Context
Arizona's statute grants DPS authority to audit a representative sample of police agencies, but it does not explicitly provide for targeted audits prompted by an outside party's request. The dispute turns on that gap in the law's text.
Residents of Gilbert may want to know whether police databases are accessed only for legitimate law enforcement purposes. The outcome of Goulden's request could determine whether outside parties can prompt oversight of local police record searches.
The takeaway
Requests for oversight of police records depend on the precise scope of state audit law, and residents interested in accountability can track how DPS responds to such requests.
Further reading
Explore more Law Enforcement coverage from across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AZ Central.
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