Touching Base: A Message from the Chief
November 11, 2012
Dear Community Members and Department Personnel:
For Your Information:
On November 10, the United States Marine Corps
celebrated their 237th Birthday. In honor of this special day, the
Pasadena Marines (2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines)
participated in an honor run around the Rose Bowl. The Marines were joined
by Fire Cadets attending the Verdugo Fire Academy, Pasadena Police
Officer Jordon Ling, and me. As we ran around the Rose Bowl, community
members stopped to salute the American flag (carried by Marines during the run)
and cheered as the Marines passed by. Marine Captain and Pasadena Police
Officer, Rodney Solorzano, organized the run. Marine Lieutenant
Colonel Hutchinson (he commands the 2nd Battalion, 23rd
Marines) also participated. On behalf of the Pasadena Police
Department, I would like to wish the United States Marine Corps, Happy
Birthday!
Save the Date:
Youth for Human Rights
International, Pasadena High School Chapter,
will host Education and Responsibility Human Rights Day Forum 2012, on December
8, 2012 at the Louis Creveling Lounge, Pasadena City College. Youth for
Human Rights International is dedicated to teaching youth about human rights,
specifically, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
inspire them to become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace. For more
information on Youth for Human Rights International, please visit: http://www.youthforhumanrights.org. Tim Bowles is the Executive Director for Human
Rights International and is accepting forum RSVPs at tbowles@tbowleslaw.com.
Our Community:
On October 30, Pasadena Police Lieutenant Randell
Taylor and Sergeant Jason Clawson represented the Pasadena Police
Department at the China News Service 60th Anniversary Celebration.
The dinner was held at the Pacific Palms Resort in La Puente. About 300 guests
attended the event along with several law enforcement officials including Police
Chiefs from Alhambra and San Marino Police Departments. The China News
Service is the second largest state-owned news agency in the People's
Republic of China, and has news offices in the United States.
Randell and Jason were guest of local Attorney, Michael Zhang.
On Saturday November 3, Pasadena Police Officer Mat
Widger and Sergeant Ed Calatayud attended a block party hosted by
neighbors in the 2700 block of Madera Drive. The event was well attended.
Children were given the opportunity to get into police cars and received badge
stickers. Also present were members of the fire department with fire trucks and
equipment. Special thanks to the Rose Family for coordinating the event.
On November 4, Deborah K.
Sanchez and I attended the Pasadena Community
Gardens Conservancy (PCGC) Awards Ceremony to honor organizations for their
efforts to start and maintain a community garden. Recipients included:
- John Muir High School’s Muir Ranch Community Supported Agriculture
project
- Harambee Ministries’ Harambee Community Garden in Northwest
Pasadena
- Pasadena Community Gardens’ Community Garden in Southwest Pasadena
Councilmember Steve Madison
was among the many VIPs attending the ceremony, which was emceed by PCGC
President Eileen Read. The event was held at AKA American BISTRO
and was very well attended. For more information on the Pasadena
Community Gardens Conservancy, please contact PCGC President and CEO, Eileen
Read, at eileenwhiteread@hotmail.com, or phone (202) 641-0779.
On November 7, Lieutenant Phlunte Riddle and I attended a meeting
with several local pastors regarding the Clergy Community Coalition. We
focused on outreach efforts and recruiting. I used some of our time
together to talk about the recent shootings in Pasadena and how the pastors
could assist mitigating the violence.
On November 7, I stopped by the Jackie Roberson Center to visit with
community members attending the community dinner program. The program is always
well attended and evening no exception. There were a number of volunteers
on hand to help serve food and engage in conversation. While JRC I had
the opportunity to talk with community leader Walt Jackson and I saw
Human Services & Recreation Administrator Horace Wormely and
Supervisor Jarvis Emerson.
On November 7, I stopped by the 2012 Top Attorneys reception, which was
hosted by Pasadena Magazine and City National Bank. Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard
was among the many VIPs. Maria and Donald Schwetzer coordinate my
participation.
On November 7, I had the opportunity to lecture to a group of University
of Phoenix (UOP) Undergraduates enrolled in a management course. The
students asked several great follow-up questions. UOP Instructor, Tracy
Webb, coordinated my participation.
On November 8, several Pasadena Police officers and employees attended
the Pasadena Citizens Police Academy, Class 38 Graduation. Approximately
34 community members graduated from the 11-week program. The graduation
ceremony was facilitated by Officers Brad May and Patrick Polimeni,
and Police Specialist Arlene Ramos. Explorers from Pasadena
Post 19 posted the colors and Pasadena Chaplain Jaye Curry gave the
invocation.
On November 10, Deputy Chief Darryl Qualls, Commander John
Perez, Lieutenant Phlunte Riddle, Sergeant John Luna,
Corporal Robert Tucker, and I attended the 9th Annual Lincoln
Village Festival, which was hosted by Neighbors Acting Together Helping All
(NATHA). The event was well attended and featured the John Muir High
School Alumni Drum Corp, games, food, and information booths.
NATHA Executive Director, CelestineWalker, was on hand to greet the countless VIPs, which included:
Mayor Bill Bogaard, Assistant City Manager Steve Mermell, PCC
Board of Trustees Member Belinda Brown, PUSD President Renatta
Cooper, Julia Hines (Assembly Member Anthony Portantino’s Field
Representative), Adam Carter (State Senator Carol Liu’s Field
Representative), Congresswoman Judy Chu, Northwest Manager Lola
Osborn, Tina Williams (Pasadena Jacque Robinson’s Field
Representative), and Northwest Commissioner Michele Bailey. NATHA
received a community grant from Southern California Gas Company.
Pasadena Police Sergeant John Luna and Officer Robert Tucker
serve on the NATHA Board of Directors also participated in the event.
On November 10, Deputy Chief Darryl Qualls, Commander John Perez,
Lieutenant John Dewar, Sergeant Jason Clawson, and I attended
the Appreciation BBQ hosted by the Summit Avenue Neighborhood (SAN)
group. Several other Pasadena Police officers stopped by the celebration
to say hello and visit with neighbors. The Summit Avenue Neighborhood group was
very complementary about Jason, Special Enforcement Officers, and personnel
assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division.
On November 10, Deputy Chief
Darryl Qualls, Commander John Perez,
Sergeant Johnny Mercado, Forensics Specialists Alex Padilla, and
I participated in the 2nd Annual Adelante Young Men Conference,
which was held at Pasadena City College. More than 1200 young men
attended the conference, which featured workshops and guest speakers.
John, Johnny, and I talked with a group of young people who were interested in
law enforcement careers. Some conference participants traveled south from as
far away as San Francisco, while others were from the San Gabriel Valley.
The conference was coordinated by Stella
R. Murga, Founder and Executive Director for the Pasadena Youth Center,
Pasadena Police Commander John Perez (President of the Board of
Directors, Youth Center), and their hard working staff Karina Ortiz Villa
and Veronica De La Rosa.
Pasadena’s Finest:
On October 25, Pasadena Police Specialists Anita Butler and Laura
Morris were commended by City Manager Michael Beck for their help assisting
with the Employee Appreciation Day Picnic. The modest event was held on
September 20 and was a great success.
On October 30, I received a letter from Alhambra Police Chief Mark
Yokoyama commending Pasadena Police Lieutenant John Dewar for his
participation in their promotional interviews. Chief Yokoyama wrote,
“…John’s insight, professionalism, and knowledge created a successful
promotional process.”
On November 2, I received a letter from Burbank Police Chief Scott
LaChasse commending the Pasadena Police officers assigned to the Mutual Aid
response in support of President Obama’s visit to Burbank. You may
recall, several Pasadena Police officers were part of the San Gabriel Valley
response to assist the BPD.
On November 2, I received an email from a community member commending a
Pasadena Police officer for his quick action to remove a canine from the
roadway near Marengo Boulevard. The community member wrote, “…I saw one of your
officers make a VERY great effort at removing this dog from harm’s way.”
On November 4, Pasadena Police Officer Mary Hooker was commended
by a Pasadena community member for her handling of a disturbance call.
The community member wrote, “…Officer Hooker was professional, compassionate,
and offered good advice…”
On November 5, I received a card from a community member commending
Pasadena Police Sergeant Vasken Gourdikian for his community
participation. Vasken attended a community event entitled, “2012 Honoree
Reception” on October 29th.
On November 6, Pasadena Police Officer Jose Calderon commended
Police Cadet Brandon Anderson for his work efficiency and
effectiveness. Specifically, Jose commended Brandon for his assistance
with a commercial burglary case.
On November 9, a few Pasadena Police officers assisted with the Mutual
Aid Area “C” training exercise. Approximately 130 officers from 8 Area C
cities participated in the training, along with role players and communications
operators. The training was held at the Glendale Galleria and was
concluded a few hours later.
On November 9, Pasadena Police Sergeant Jesse Carrillo graduated
from the POST Supervisory Leadership Institute (SLI). The graduation was
held at the Hyatt-Regency-Newport Beach. SLI is an intensive leadership
development program involving research, academics, and other demands.
Jesse’s work load was not reduced while attending SLI, which makes his
accomplishment even more impressive. Commander John Perez attended the
graduation.
Critical Incidents:
On October 25, a male suspect committed a window smash
burglary at a business in the 90 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue. Officer
Jose Calderon completed a preliminary investigation and he later
identified the suspect. The case was assigned to Detective Alonzo Wilkins,
who secured an arrest warrant. On November 8, detectives assigned to the West
San Gabriel Valley – Anti Crime Team (WSGV-ACT) conducted a covert operation
and observed the suspect. The suspect was contacted and arrested without
incident.
On November 1 at about 2:25 a.m., Pasadena Police and
Pasadena Fire Departments responded to a structure fire in the 1300 block of El
Sereno Avenue. When officers and fire personnel arrived at the location,
they found the lower level of the structure fully engulfed by fire. Two
Male Adults were found dead inside the dwelling and a third victim, suffering
from burns, was transported to a local hospital in serious condition. As
the investigation progressed, the evidence indicated the fire was intentionally
set and the focus of the investigation shifted from a suspicious fire to a
murder.
Pasadena Police Detective Cuong Pham was assigned the
case. Following the suspect’s arrest, Cuong presented his case to the Office of
the Los Angeles County District Attorney for consideration of filing. The
District Attorney’s Office filed a total of 19 felony counts against the
suspect. This investigation is a great example of the interdepartmental
cooperation between the Pasadena Police and Fire Departments.
On November 4 at about 5:00 p.m., Pasadena Police
Detectives Bill Broghamer and Ara Bzdigian, and Special
Enforcement Section (SES) officers were patrolling the area of 22 West
Washington Boulevard as part of a coordinated enforcement effort to address
recent shootings. Bill and Ara observed a suspicious person and attempted
to contact him. The suspect immediately ran in the opposite direction.
The area was quickly contained by SES officers and the suspect was
detained. Officers discovered that the suspect was in possession of a .357
revolver and was arrested without further incident. The suspect was
booked at the Pasadena jail.
On November 8 at about 1:47 p.m., Pasadena Police
officers responded to the area of Newport Avenue and Idaho Street regarding
shots fired. On arrival, officers interviewed witnesses who said they
observed a car-to-car shooting. The involved vehicle sped off in different
directions prior to our arrival. Sergeant John Luna was the
Incident Commander and supervised the preliminary investigation. Pasadena
Police detectives responded and our investigation is ongoing.
On November 8 at about 9:50 p.m., Pasadena Police
officers responded to a business in the 200 block of North Altadena Drive
regarding an armed robbery investigation. On arrival, officers talked
with the victim who said the suspect (Black Male Adult) entered the business
and displayed a handgun. The suspect demanded money from the store clerk
and left the area. The suspect was described as a Male Black, 50s,
muscular build, dark clothing, and wearing a mask. If you have any
information about this incident, please call the Pasadena Police Department at
(626) 744-4241, and ask for the robbery detectives.
On November 9 at about 9:30 a.m., Pasadena Police
Officers Cesar Aguilar and Robert Dubois were patrolling in the
area of Pasadena City College when they observed PCC Police chasing a male
suspect. Cesar and Robert immediately assisted with the foot chase and
subsequently arrested the suspect without further incident. As it turns
out, the suspect was wanted for a strong arm robbery where he stole a
cellphone.
Sincerely,
Phillip L. Sanchez
Chief of Police
Pasadena Police Department
207 N. Garfield Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 744-4545
Mission First, People Always