Groups seek closer review of Pasadena police complaints

Civil rights activists pressed Pasadena leaders this week to increase local oversight of police misconduct allegations, but authorities said reform is unnecessary, and police announced new complaint procedures.

On Monday afternoon representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP and Pasadena Community Coalition told the public safety subcommittee of the Pasadena City Council — a group of four City Council members — that the city needs to do its own reviews of alleged misconduct, and that the Police Department should not be involved.

The request comes two years after Pasadena scrapped its civilian use-of-force review board and at the same time that county and federal agencies are reviewing the conduct of four Pasadena officers.

The Pasadena Police Department is investigating the death of Kendrec McDade, an unarmed teen shot by Pasadena police officers Mathew Griffin and Jeff Newlen in March. Police Chief Phillip Sanchez has also asked for a county and an FBI review of the case.

Separately, Sanchez asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to investigate Officer Kevin Okamoto, who is accused of failing to disclose evidence in a criminal case, among other allegations. Det. Keith Gomez is also facing a county probe over an allegation that he falsified evidence and threatened a witness related to a 2006 homicide.

Kris Ockershauser, of the Pasadena-Foothill chapter of the ACLU, told the Public Safety committee it should hire an independent investigator and require regular reports about officer use of force and discipline, and citizen complaints. She said the department’s efforts don’t go far enough.

“Independent investigative capacity of any serious use-of-force misconduct is critical,” Ockershauser said. “Regular and substantive reporting can go a long way to keeping committee members and the public informed.”

Sanchez said his department of about 230 sworn officers and the city take citizen complaints seriously, and more oversight is unnecessary. He provides discipline and citizen complaint reports to the council twice a year, and said officer use of force is unusual.

In 2011 the Pasadena Police Department arrested 8,562 people for felonies and misdemeanors, Sanchez said, with 67 incidents — less than 1% — involving use of force.

“Our analysis is that the Pasadena City Council Public Safety Committee and Pasadena Police Department exceed industry standards with respect to civilian oversight,” Sanchez said.

In July the department bought a database program that tracks officer complaints, training and commendations. Additionally, Pasadena police supervisors have begun to require that officers tell superiors when they receive a citizen complaint, in addition to the current practice of forwarding complaints on paper.

While the announcement of the changes coincides with the recent string of allegations and investigations, they’ve been in the works for at least a year, said Pasadena Lt. Phlunte Riddle.

“The additional process is something we’ve been discussing and evaluating for quite some time,” Riddle said. “They should be implemented in a few months.”

Martin Gordon, chairman of the Pasadena Community Coalition, said the city needs an oversight panel made up of residents.

“It’s important that citizens get a chance to look at [complaints from] ordinary, everyday citizens,” Gordon said. “People will start to make the complaints they didn’t make before because they feel there’s someone there that knows what they’re feeling.”

Members of the public safety committee indicated they did not see a need for new measures.

“I think this might be a solution in search of a problem,” said Councilwoman Margaret McAustin. “We do not have the level of problems in the city, I think, [to require] a solution like the one that has been suggested.”

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Twitter: @AdolfoFlores3