Meeting to address rise in crime and VRE taskforce.
By Terry Miller
A special public safety meeting is slated for Jan. 26 in Council Chambers at 6 p.m. Thursday.
In the wake of recent violence in Pasadena, a special public safety meeting – in lieu of the regular January meeting – will address community concerns and discuss ways in which the city plans to curtail gang violence.
The meeting is held by council members John Kennedy, Tyron Hampton, Gene Masuda and Steve Madison who serve as the foundation of the Public Safety Committee.
Pasadena Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez mentioned the department’s latest efforts to reduce violence in the city in his weekly e-newsletter Touching Base:
“You may recall following the shootings in late December 2016 and early January 2017, the police department implemented the Violence Reduction Effort Taskforce (VRE) to mitigate the shootings, identify and arrest the suspect(s) responsible for the incidents. VRE follows our organizational philosophy of “prevention, intervention and enforcement” (PIE), which ensures the department is delivering the best possible police services.
From Jan. 15 – 21, the VRE engaged in a variety of police tactics to mitigate violence in the community. The efforts resulted in 37 foot patrols (including parks and other areas); 31 field contacts; 97 traffic / pedestrian enforcement stops; and 12 probation / parole compliance checks. The taskforce also arrested nine suspects for a variety of offensives. Five of the suspects arrested were confirmed gang members or associated with a local street gang. In addition to the enforcement component of our efforts, gang officers also spent time connecting with families at risk or who have young people likely being ‘courted’ by the gangs.
The VRE taskforce works with local, regional and federal law enforcement partners, and will remain in place for the immediate future. Community members also play a critical role in public safety. Community members are reminded that if “You See Something; Say Something!” You can report in progress crime or other emergencies by calling 9-1-1. Suspicious activity or non-emergency activity can be reported to the police department by calling (626) 744-4241.”
The public is encouraged to attend this meeting and in the beginning residents have approximately 20 minutes for comment on items NOT on the agenda for Thursday.
The agenda includes comments by Chief Sanchez as well as developing solutions to community violence.
