Crime, Police Use-of-Force Incidents On Decline in Pasadena, Police Chief Says

[UPDATED] Both crime and uses of force by police are trending downward in Pasadena this year, according to a report Pasadena Police Chief John Perez is scheduled to present to the Public Safety Commission this week.

Department data shows a 4% decrease in overall crime in Pasadena thus far in 2021, compared with 2020, representing the lowest rate in five years, according to the chief’s report, which he will present on Wednesday.

Violent crime has declined by 26% this year, the report states.

Nonetheless, 22 shootings have been documented, resulting in five people wounded, one of them fatally, according to the report. There have been no shootings by police officers this year.

Officers had seized 131 guns as of the end of April, mirroring last year’s statistic for the same time period, officials said.

Seventeen assaults against Pasadena police officers have been documented year-to-date. A total of 22 complaints have been made by members of the public.

The department has received well over 36,000 service calls this year.

The report indicates officers used force during arrests 12 times this year, compared with 15 times as of the same time in 2017.

Only eight use-of-force incidents had been reported through the end of April in 2020, although with the pandemic prompting lockdowns, Lt. William Grisafe said the first portion of the year represented “an anomaly.”

Officials documented 42 total uses of force by police in 2017; 30 in 2018; 34 in 2019 and 26 in 2020, according to police records.

“De-escalation is not only built into our use-of-force policy, but officers are required to intervene in bad conduct and report it,” Perez wrote.

The Pasadena Police Department has also expanded its employee assistance program to allow for direct access to a therapist around the clock, according to the chief. “The effort of creating a wellness culture has nexus to reducing stress, improving performance and potentially reducing use-of-force encounters.”

Wednesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. and can be viewed online at pasadena.granicus.com/mediaplayer.php?camera_id=2&publish_id=9.

The agenda can be accessed online at cityofpasadena.net/commissions/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2021-05-19-Special-Public-Safety-Committee-Meeting-Agenda.pdf?v=1621271871606.