As a Pasadena resident, I am reaching out to you to share details about a special Public Safety Committee meeting the City of Pasadena is hosting today, Thursday, June 4th, to discuss potential options for greater civilian oversight of the Pasadena Police Department. 

The City’s Public Safety Committee is composed of four elected officials — Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek, Vice Mayor Tyron Hampton, and Council Members John Kennedy and Steve Madison. This is an issue they formally considered over five years ago — following several fatal use-of-force incidents and in response to requests by a coalition of local community groups including the Pasadena chapters of the NAACP and ACLU — but could not find a majority of Council Members to act upon (5 of 9 votes needed in Pasadena).

I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with a co-organizer of the CICOPP (Coalition For Increased Civilian Oversight of Pasadena Police), Juliana Serrano of All Saints Church, who shared that the coalition would greatly appreciate comments to the Committee from Pasadena residents and stakeholders in support of greater civilian oversight of the department. Per Juliana, the group recognizes that while greater oversight alone is not enough based on the impact of citizen commissions in other communities, it would be a concrete step for Pasadena after years of inaction on this issue.

Below are details on the meeting, including where it can be viewed online, as well as how community members can submit comments. As many people search for ways to engage locally at this time, I wanted to be sure to bring this to your attention.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration,

• What: Pasadena Public Safety Committee – Special Meeting
• When: Thursday, June 4th (2pm start)
• Videoconference: Per agenda it should be livestreamed on www.pasadenamedia.org
• Meeting Agenda: Agenda Item #1 – includes 2015 staff report on options
• How to submit Public Comment: Public comment can be submitted via the City’s online form. Simply select “Public Safety Committee”, agenda item 1. Please note that if you would like your comment to be read aloud to the Committee Members you will need to check that box on the online form submit your online response shortly AFTER the meeting has begun (2pm). Here is the form URL: www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment