“All Northwest Pasadena” Community Meeting Will Focus on Recent Jump in Shootings

An “All Northwest Pasadena” community meeting to address the recent jump in violence in that part of the city will be held Wednesday, January 6 at the Villa-Parke Community Center.

Originally planned by District 5 Councilmember Victor Gordo, the meeting grew in coverage scope when Councilmember John Kennedy (District 3) requested a similar meeting and both Mayor Tornek and City Manager Michael Beck asked that it be merged into the already-scheduled District 5 meeting.

Ultimately it was decided to invite residents from Councilmember Tyron Hampton’s District 1 as well.

Councilmember Gordo called for a community meeting in response to mounting concerns in the Northwest after a spate of five separate shootings since December 18 claimed the life of one young man and resulted in injuries to six other people.

“I asked the Pasadena Police Department to give us the facts about each of these incidents and tell us what strategy they are employing to try and prevent future incidents,” Gordo said. “It’s both an information meeting as well as a meeting to tell members of our community how we could work together.”

Gordo said this will be an open meeting and any citizen may attend to listen and share information with the police department.

Councilmember Kennedy said the Pasadena Police Department is “responding aggressively by increasing patrols and stepping up other enforcement efforts to try to prevent any further incidents.”

“I want to assure the community that preparations for the annual New Year’s Day events did not detract the Pasadena Police Department from its primary mission to keep our community safe,” Kennedy said.

Gordo agreed, saying “I think it is important to note that we don’t in any way diminish or reduce patrol and enforcement because of the parade or the game. It’s the other way around.”

“The police reinforcement that we bring in for the parade and the New Year celebration, including the Rose Bowl game, are focused on those activities, while our own police department are a 100 percent focused on the day to day policing of Pasadena and our neighborhoods,” he said.

The January 6 community meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to hear directly from Police Chief Phillip L. Sanchez and his command staff regarding efforts to solve these recent crimes and prevent others.

It will also be an opportunity to share community concerns directly with the elected and appointed officials, Kennedy said.

Kennedy said he had hoped to have been able to “assuage the fears of parents who talked to me about the safety of their children ahead of their return to school on Monday,” before being prevailed upon to consolidate his meeting into the later event.

The “All-Northwest” community meeting will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. on January 6 at Villa-Parke Community Center, 363 E. Villa St. Spanish translation will be provided.