Councilmember Steve Madison speaks highly of Pasadena’s finest as Peter Bibring, senior staff attorney for the ACLU-SoCal looks on – Photo by Terry Miller
Forum examines increased civilian oversight of Pasadena Police
ACLU wants police auditor; Councilmember Madison stands by the Department.
A civilian oversight forum was held at the Pasadena Central Library Auditorium Tuesday night. The title of the forum was “Policing Law Enforcement: Should There Be Increased Oversight of Pasadena’s Police Department By A Police Auditor Reporting to the Public Safety Committee?”
The evening was sponsored by Pasadena ACT and co-sponsored by organizations such as the Pasadena NAACP, ACLU SoCal Pasadena/Foothills Chapter, All Saints Church as well as other area non-profits.
The debate took on a lighter moment when Pasadena Councilman Steve Madison said he just realized that he was seated to the left of the ACLU attorney. “Nobody can get more left of the ACLU…” ACLU attorney Peter Bibring, moderater former Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, and the audience of about 100 burst into collective laughter.
After Peter Bibring voiced his reasons for a citizens oversight team (citing several shootings over the years that “remain questionable”), Steve Madison took a more conservative approach saying that in fact the Pasadena Police Department does an excellent job of policing itself on a regular basis with Internal Investigations and in conjunction with the LASD when necessary.
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