Police Oversight Commission Makes Plans for Community Forums on Pretextual Traffic Stops

The Community Police Oversight Commission planned the schedules for two community forums on pretextual traffic stops at its Thursday meeting.

A pretextual police traffic stop is a stop initiated by law enforcement for a minor traffic violation but with the actual purpose of investigating other potential offenses, such as drug or weapons possession or other criminal activity.

The plan is for the first forum to be held on the Pasadena City College campus on March 7, while the second would be at Robinson Park on March 14.

Independent Police Auditor Richard Rosenthal is set to be present at the March 7 community forum.

The forums would occur prior to the Community Police Oversight Commission’s comprehensive review of the Pasadena Police Department’s pretext stop policy.

The Commission’s review comes in response to the Office of Independent Review group’s April 2023 recommendation that the Police Oversight Commission convene community conversations to formally discuss and consider the pros and cons of the Pasadena Police Department’s use of pretext stops, especially with regard to minor equipment violations.

City Principal Administrative Analyst Amanda Fowler said during the community forums, the staff will present a short introduction on the concept of pretextual stops and what the commission has been doing prior to making a recommendation to improve the Pasadena Police Department’s pretext stop policy.

Aside from the community forums, the Community Police Oversight Commission is set to create an online survey to solicit feedback from the public as well as members of the Pasadena Police Department.

After gathering community input, the Community Police Oversight Commission will make a final recommendation which will be forwarded to the City Manager, the Chief of Police, the Mayor, and the City Council.