The Votes Are In!
2023 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → 
Pasadena Police Chief Sanchez Looks Back 2014
News Jan 15, 2015
by
share with
Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez points out, in his weekly newsletter, that there have been significant increases in serious crimes but also some decreases:
Statistics cited are as follows:
– 2014 Significant Increases:
Homicide 200%
Domestic violence 21%
Assault with a Deadly Weapon 10%
-2014 Significant Decreases:
Grand Theft Auto -21%
Residential Burglary -17%
Robberies -13%
The increase in homicides last year can be attributed in part to two incidents involving multiple victims:
-Summit Avenue: An Active Shooter suspect murdered three victims; the suspect was known to the victims and arrested without incident. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges.
-Madison Avenue: A Stabbing suspect murdered two victims; the suspect was related to the victims and arrested without incident. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges.
Other homicides in 2014 include:
-1500 block of North Raymond Avenue (one Victim; one Suspect); the suspect was known to the victim and was arrested without incident. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges.
-600 block of South Arroyo Parkway (one Victim; one Suspect); the suspect was known to the victim and was arrested without incident. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges.
-Old Pasadena (one Victim, one Suspect); the suspect was known to the victim and was arrested without incident. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office did not file charges in this case. The assault was classified as a mutual-combat.
-1400 block of El Sereno Avenue (one Victim, Unknown Suspects(s); Detectives are actively working this case. Of special note: The El Sereno Avenue homicide may be gang-related and if proven so, it would be the only gang-homicide in 2014.
In the vast majority of the 2014 homicides, the suspect(s) was known to the victim(s) and/or related to the family. Of note, Pasadena Police officers detained the suspect(s) immediately after the incidents or an arrest was made by police detectives following their robust investigations. While each loss of life is tragic, the homicides committed in 2014 were not random (with the possible exception of the El Sereno Avenue). The suspects responsible for the killings are awaiting trial or have been set aside by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
Domestic Violence continues to be problematic. The Pasadena Police Department is in the process of launching a Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team, in partnership with Peace Over Violence (POV). It is hopeful that the newly formed unit will help reduce Domestic Violence through education, advocacy, and enforcement.
The recent shootings in our community will be included in the January 2015 Crime Index. In the meantime, please know the police department is working around the clock to resolve the spike in violent activity. We frequently communicate with the Altadena Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies to ensure we have all available information regarding the shootings. PPD detectives are working tirelessly to identify the responsible suspect(s) and determine if the shootings are gang-related. I have authorized extra patrols, covert resources, and assigned two police commanders to the reduction effort.
Keeping our community informed is also part of the solution. Police officials attended the Northwest Commission meeting on January 8, 2015 to discuss the recent shootings and at least two other community meetings on January 10th. Pasadena Police Community Outreach officers conducted foot patrols in the impacted areas talking with neighbors about crime activity and how to safely report their observations. Equally important PPD gang-officers conducted several in-home intervention sessions (at the residences of at risk youth) to help keep parents informed and reduce gang-recruitment through our collective efforts. The police department is working with elected official, field representatives, and community members to schedule other meeting in the coming days. You are encouraged to visit the Pasadena Police Department’s Webpage (http://www.cityofpasadena.net/Police/); follow us on Twitter (@PasPDNews); and register for Nixle Alerts (https://local.nixle.com/register/) to stay informed.
The Pasadena Police Department is committed to safeguarding the community. My staff will continue to use all available resources (including technology) to identify those predators responsible for violent and non-violent crime and analyze data to help guide our first responders. Of course the best data in the world is worthless without an effective workforce. Fortunately, the Pasadena Police Department has an exceptional group of executives, supervisors, officers, employees, and volunteers who serve the community with honor, integrity, and courage.
The Pasadena Police Department needs the community’s help; however, in the effort to mitigate crime and identify those responsible for anti-social behavior. See Something, Say Something is a simple theme but has tremendous potential in the effort to harness the community’s awareness and create opportunities for you to contribute toward public safety. In-progress crimes should be reported to 9-1-1. Community members are encouraged to call (626) 744-4241 to report suspicious activity or to offer information following a violent crime or property loss.
Please take a moment to review the December 2014 Crime Index (http://www.cityofpasadena.net/Police/Crime_Statistics/). Although there are many factors influencing crime in our community, the preliminary information indicates an overall annual decline in Part I crimes of approximately 5% to close out 2014.
More from News
