Pasadena Authorities Using Both Technology And Human Approach To Curb Rising Gun Violence
PASADENA (CBSLA) - After a recent spike in shootings and gun crime, Pasadena is trying some new strategies, using former gang members and clerics to try and stop the violence.
Crime scene tape has become a more common sight in the city, with shootings up 20% over the last year.
"We don't want communities to have to go through these vicious cycles of shootings that are occurring," said Pasadena Police Lt. Bill Grisafe.
With that in mind, the police department just rolled out some new tech to pinpoint where the problems are popping up. These audio sensors called "shot spotters"
detect almost exactly where the shootings are happening, within an 82 foot radius.
Since going live with the new technology a week and a half ago, police have already registered five separate shootings in Pasadena.
"Of those five shootings, we actually only received 911 calls for one of the shootings," Lt. Grisafe said.
One of the incidents that shot spotter picked up was a series of 18 gunshots.
"It was actually a shootout between two individuals, we believe,' the Lt. said.
Grisafe said by the time officers arrived, a minute later, the suspects were gone, but they knew exactly where to look for victims, video and witnesses.
"We're trying to talk to the people that are holding the gun," said Pastor Ricky Pickens.
The City of Pasadena brought Pickens on as a part of a new gang intervention program. He has a team made up of a handful of guys who used to be in Pasadena gangs themselves.
"When you have the relationship, a lot of times you get wind of, 'Hey, something is brewing,'" Pickens said.
Those former gang members are another set of boots on the ground. They talk with current gang leaders in the city to try and mediate conflicts before they escalate into shootings, in hopes of preventing retaliation shootings that can often bounce back and forth and catch innocent people in the crossfire.
"We try to understand what got you there, what's keeping you there and how do we present other alternatives to get you out of there. That's the stuff that police don't have to do," Pickens said.
The pastor thinks Pasadena has put the right pieces in the right places to help curb the violence. He also believes that by focusing not just on where the shootings happen, but why they happen, they can also save lives.
"So, if we can prevent the next generation from becoming the next gang member, then we've broken the cycle. It's like general curses in families," said Pickens.
Police said that the new gunshot sensing technology has shown that about 80% of shootings in the city are going unreported.