Pasadena Police Head to the Waterfront for LA Fleet Week

When Gene Harris joined the Marine Corps at 17, he began a career defined by service. Now, as Pasadena’s police chief, he leads a department heading back to LA Fleet Week — the free Memorial Day Weekend event where military tradition and community engagement share the same pier.

The Pasadena Police Department will staff a recruitment booth at LA Fleet Week 2026, which runs May 22–25 at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. The annual celebration draws more than 60,000 visitors for active-duty ship tours, military exhibits, and live entertainment, according to event organizers. For the department, the weekend serves two purposes: paying tribute to those who have served in uniform and connecting with residents who may be considering a career in law enforcement, according to a department press release.

It is the department’s second consecutive year at Fleet Week. In 2025, Sergeants Barry Glockson, Thomas Corralez and Joaquin Gurrola and Lieutenant Brad May represented Pasadena alongside U.S. Navy personnel, according to the department.

The event is centered around the Battleship USS Iowa Museum at 250 S. Harbor Blvd. in San Pedro. Admission is free and open to all ages. The main expo opens daily at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., with more than 90 exhibits, military equipment demonstrations, aircraft flyovers, and competitions including the Galley Wars culinary cook-off between military branches.

Visitors can tour active-duty Navy and Coast Guard vessels through a virtual queue system on the day of their visit. A valid government-issued photo ID is required for ship tours; non-U.S. citizens must present a valid passport. The only way to reach the ship tour area is by shuttle from the main expo — there is no personal vehicle or pedestrian access to the docked vessels, according to the event’s FAQ page.

This year’s event is also the first in Los Angeles’s AMERICA 250 celebration, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. Neighborhood activations across the region begin May 19, with events at locations including The Grove, Mission Hills and Disneyland before the main expo opens at the waterfront.

Parking lots and street parking are available throughout the San Pedro area. Free shuttles and trolleys run throughout the day between venues, parking areas, and the expo, according to the event website. The event is also accessible via the Metro Silver Line to the Battleship USS Iowa Museum.

Eugene Harris — known as Gene — served as a Marine airborne forward observer before spending more than two decades in Los Angeles County law enforcement, including 23 years at the Monterey Park Police Department and six years as San Gabriel’s police chief, according to a profile published by the Pasadena Weekly. He was appointed Pasadena’s police chief effective January 3, 2023, according to the City of Pasadena. The department describes itself as committed to community engagement and public safety through a prevention, intervention and enforcement approach, according to its website.

Visitors interested in a career with the Pasadena Police Department can learn more at cityofpasadena.net/police/join. Full event details and schedules are available at lafleetweek.com.

The department identified its participation in a press release. Event details were independently confirmed through LA Fleet Week’s official website and the Battleship USS Iowa Museum.

On Memorial Day, after the last exhibit closes and the final ship tour ends, a ceremony at the expo’s main stage will mark the weekend’s purpose — honoring those who gave their lives in service to the country.