Pasadena Police Chief John Perez blamed gangs and the coronavirus for recent increases in violent crime around the city, including a double homicide earlier this week, among others. Meanwhile, city leaders asked for the public’s help in solving the crime as they assuaged residents’ concerns about the city’s safety.
The recent uptick is part of a larger national trend, Perez said, as crime has increased nationwide as economic conditions continue to deteriorate amid the pandemic and its related restrictions.
Before the pandemic started, the city saw some of its lowest crime levels ever. By the summer, things had changed.
“Since last year, we’ve seen an 80% spike in violent crime when it comes to gun violence,” Perez said on Thursday, Dec. 3, explaining his officers had now confiscated more than 300 guns from suspects on the streets, including one from a gang member’s waistband earlier that evening.
Perez was addressing members of the community during a town hall meeting on Thursday, hosted by Victor Gordo, a Pasadena councilman and the city’s mayor-elect, and City Manager Steve Mermell.
They spoke to the public in front of the Villa Park Community Center, near the site of the week’s double homicide.
“This is a very, very difficult time and certainly these latest incidents have not made it any better,” Gordo said. “You can be sure my colleagues on the City Council, all of my colleagues, are very concerned about this issue. We’re concerned about COVID, we’re concerned about its economic impacts, and we’re concerned about the uptick in violence.”
Gordo said they would put on the council’s agenda some of these issues for discussion in the council’s Dec. 14 meeting, which will be his second-ever meeting as mayor after he’s sworn in on Monday, Dec. 7.
Perez said there had been seven incidents in six months around Villa Park with three homicides and four people who’ve been injured by gunfire. He said they were seeing victims who were not associated with gangs.
Still, most of the recent incidents are linked to gang violence, he said, “Latino and African American gangs have been problematic for us over the last several weeks. … We have leads and investigations underway.”
The chief stressed the need for officers to be more visible in some parts of town, particularly the areas most impacted by violent crime.
“Our patrol officers are in the area, we are visible, however we still need to increase our visibility, increase our enforcement in the area,” Perez said. “But we also need to be very, very careful about the enforcement. We know the impact (of overpolicing) on neighborhoods when we do have to conduct traffic stops and pedestrian stops, but this will be important for us to continue to seize these weapons and stop the crime before it occurs.”
He urged residents to call the police if they saw people who were suspicious, if they heard gunfire, saw gang activity, witnessed fights or anything that shouldn’t be happening in an orderly and peaceful society.
Perez believed some gang members were targeting individuals who aren’t affiliated with gangs.
Still, Mermell stressed: “Pasadena is a safe community. We are seeing an increase in violent crime across the nation, across Los Angeles.”
In the grand scheme, crime rates were still relatively low in Pasadena, Perez said, but his officers will be more visible in the coming days and they’ve put together a temporary gang unit to solve some of the immediate issues.
Perez wants to see residents and officers develop better, closer relationships because, as Mermell said, “The truth of the matter is that there’s people out there who know who’s doing these actions,” urging folks to come forward.
The city is considering offering a reward for information that helps solve the double homicide.
Gordo encouraged residents to speak up if they saw anything.
“If you see anything that looks suspicious, call it in. Don’t take a chance. Call it in.”
To reach the Pasadena Police Department, call (626)744-4241. To leave a tip, call L.A. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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