Political Gumbo: Happy New Year!

Yes, 2025 has arrived.

Unfortunately it came with a quick reminder that the evils of terrorism continue to impact our way of life.

Sadly as of this writing 16 people have died due to the incidents in Las Vegas and Louisiana.

Albeit, the incidents were not in Pasadena, the situation in Louisiana, my mother’s birthplace, serves as a reminder on several levels.

There are those that would harm us as we enjoy our traditions and this is why we must remain vigilant.

I’m not sure when they start their security for the Sugar Bowl in the Big Easy, but thankfully we start the security buildup for the Tournament of Roses Parade right after the previous one ends.

Locally, this is why we have in-depth conversations across several bodies about law enforcement policy, including ShotSpotter and the Mobile Observation Tower and how they can save lives if used properly and conversely be damaging if used incorrectly.

Those conversations have to continue.

People’s rights have to be protected.

Not just the right to privacy, but also that includes the right to be safe.

I told one worried caller that odds are you couldn’t slip a piece of paper onto Colorado Boulevard without law enforcement knowing about it.

The City had 1,000 law enforcement officials in town.

Barriers were in place, the camping rules were out there and they were clear.

Couple that with the fact that 20-30 years ago there were dozens of arrests during the local New Year’s celebration.

And now, sometimes there are none.

Keeping hundreds of thousands of people is hard work and it takes all of us to get it done.

Happy New Year, keep the hard conversations going.

Remember we all want the same thing, a fair and safe city.