Pasadena Public Safety Committee Meeting: September 16, 2026

At the Pasadena Public Safety Committee’s regular meeting on September 16, 2026, the committee received Pasadena Police Department updates on immigration-related activity: six advance ICE-operation notifications in July and six in August. Members asked staff to explore posting monthly reported-activity updates on the city website. The committee also discussed a proposed Community Police Oversight Commission process for advising on police technology and equipment policies; the framework would give the commission an advisory role but not authority over procurement decisions. The transcript does not clearly record a final vote on that item.

The department presented its annual AB 481 military-equipment report and requested continued authorization of currently approved equipment, as well as policy changes concerning energy-assisted breaching and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Reported spending included approximately $64,000 for flashbangs and other munitions, $1,100 for Bearcat maintenance, $4,200 for mobile command-center maintenance, and $410,000 for helicopter flight and maintenance, with 20% of helicopter costs covered by contract cities. The committee approved recommendations 1, 2, 3, and 6 without objection; the separate drone-related recommendations 4 and 5 passed with one objection, following debate about privacy, effectiveness, and expansion. The department said additional UAS or robotic equipment beyond scheduled replacements would require a separate process, including community engagement and return to the committee and council before a purchase recommendation.