Screen grab of a bystander’s footage of Christopher Ballew’s arrest by Pasadena Police on Nov. 9, 2017 (File Photo – YouTube).
A new report by the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations has indicated great disparities in arrests, bookings, and sentencing based on race.
By Briony James
The report includes data taken from Pasadena Police, South Pasadena Police, and Glendale Police Departments. It indicates that Black and Latino arrests and bookings outnumbered those of Caucasian and Asian individuals in suburban areas by a considerable degree. Complicated by the cash bail system that negatively affects lower income groups, the arrests for misdemeanor drug offenses and property crimes in these mid-level areas of L.A. County overrepresent minorities by population in all three areas.
The study, compiled in partnership with Dr. Seva Rodnyansky and Dr. Jorgen Harris of Occidental College, shows that while crime rates dropped during the pandemic, they still are concentrated in areas such as Old Pasadena (formerly known as Old Town), the commercial center around the Americana Plaza in Glendale and South Pasadena between Fair Oaks and Mission. The study also indicated ways that these police departments can balance their enforcement to a more equitable percentage of the local population.
The Glendale Police Department called for a ‘more nuanced approach to law enforcement’, citing its diverse and ‘unique’ population. There has been no comment from South Pasadena Police Department as of publication. Update: Pasadena Police Department issued a statement this afternoon (can be found art this link).
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