Local Residents Set to Meet New Independent Police Auditor Tonight

Local residents have an opportunity to meet and hear from Pasadena’s new Independent Police Auditor Teresa Magula tonight at a special community event.

The Meet and Greet, organized by the Pasadena Community Police Oversight Commission, will take place Wednesday, March 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Robinson Park Recreation Center, located at 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave.

“I want to make myself available to the community,” Magula said in February. “While it’s important to incorporate the perspectives of the Police Department and the Commission, it’s equally important to hear from the people who live here.”

Magula brings over 17 years of oversight experience and holds a master’s degree in public policy with specialization in crime policy. She was selected from 12 applicants after interviews with eight candidates conducted by both the commission’s ad hoc committee and City Council representatives.

As a Managing Owner at OIR Group and former Special Investigator with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Office of Inspector General, Magula has extensive expertise in evaluating police use of force incidents, internal investigations, and reviewing large-scale law enforcement events.

Her professional background includes significant work progressing from handling public complaints to reviewing critical incidents and officer-involved shootings. She has also led policy reviews, including a comprehensive evaluation of the Oxnard Police Department’s response to persons in crisis and helping draft model use of force policies for the State of Washington.

Several major initiatives await her attention in Pasadena, including reviews of multiple officer-involved shootings, developing a mediation program for police complaints, analyzing pretext stops survey data, and implementing an early warning system to track potential risk factors among officers.

Tonight’s meeting is the first of two community events with Magula, with a second scheduled for April 1 at Villa Parke.

The event is part of Magula’s announced plans to launch a series of bilingual town hall meetings as part of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen community-police relations and increase public accessibility to oversight processes.

All community members are encouraged to attend and participate in an open dialogue. For more information or to request disability-related accommodations, residents can call (626) 744-4141.