A Pasadena Police Department representative delivered updates Tuesday to a City commission regarding the Department’s efforts to keep city parks including Villa Parke safer after recent a recent shooting on park grounds.
An 18-year-old man was struck multiple times by bullets during a shooting in Villa Parke at about 1:23 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. At the time police described the injuries as “life-threatening.”
Ironically a Pasadena patrol officer was at the Community Center writing a report on an incident that appeared to be unrelated when he heard the gunfire, but he was not able to detain any suspects, who sped away.
The officer immediately summoned Pasadena Fire Dept. paramedics by his radio, who transported the victim to a local hospital in critical condition.
“It is still an ongoing investigation,” Lt. Monica Cuellar told the Recreation and Parks Commission commissioners Tuesday. “That person is now recovering.”
Since the September 17 shooting incident, police have been providing heightened security measures at the Villa Parke.
“What we have done is to put extra service in the park. Tonight, I had my bike team do some canvassing in the area just to go out, meet and greet people, just to let them know that we are present, we are there.”
At the meeting, Commissioner Tim Martinez inquired about city efforts to keep parks safer as he lamented that because of the gang activities, kids are scared to go out and visit city parks.
“We have a community center there as well. So there are these services that we hope the community can benefit from and it sounds to me like the kids are scared to go there, the parents are forbidding it so they can’t even benefit from the services that are being offered.”
“If people feel unsafe at the parks, what good are the parks — they are no good,” said Martinez.
Responding to Martinez, Cuellar, who has been serving for 30 years, pointed out that gang activities are an ongoing thing and they will not go away unless everyone gets involved.
“There needs to be more people involved, not just the police, not just churches, but everybody, so people know that when you come to Pasadena, it is a safe place.”
“There is not enough togetherness now,” said Cuellar.
Cuellar suggested bringing more activities to the park to make it less fearful.
“We do need to bring more activities back — things that are going to attract the kids.”
Cuellar said she will return to the commission at the next meeting for recommendations to make the parks safer.
Brenda Harvey-Williams, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services at the meeting meanwhile assured commissioners that “a plethora of things are going on” to make parks safer.
She mentioned that one of those actions is the installation of cameras at the park.
“This is a big change because a few years ago the neighbors didn’t want cameras. They don’t want to be watched. Now they are saying ‘please put the cameras on the park’,” said Harvey-Williams.
According to Harvey-Williams, the camera installation would have already started if not for supply chain issues.
Harvey-Williams said there are over 800 children participating in soccer programs right now at Villa Parke.
She said the Parks, Recreation and Community Services is filling the park with positive activities, “in the hope that we will continually keep the negative activities out.”
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