[Updated] Several members of the City Council expressed immediate support for the Pasadena Police Department’s purchase of Cellular Site Simulator to locate and apprehend criminals during the Public Safety Committee meeting Wednesday.
The Pasadena Police’s Robbery/Homicide Unit, which investigates some of the most heinous crimes that occur in Pasadena including homicide, kidnapping and violent robbery, has been using the equipment for years but has to borrow it from other agencies, police officials told the Committee.
The Unit requests use of the equipment from sister cities 2 to 3 times per month, according to data provided by Pasadena Police Department.
“There are consequences to having to borrow it from other agencies that have access to it …. because the reality is that we are not the other agencies’ priority,” Lieutenant Keith Gomez of Pasadena Police Department told the Public Safety Committee..
Gomez said some crimes that occurred in the city might have been prevented if Pasadena Police Department had its own Cellular Site Simulator.
According to Gomez, the equipment can only be used if the police obtained a search warrant or in exigent circumstances.
Edgar Sanchez, who has been supervising the Robbery/Homicide Unit since 2015, said investigators have to obtain probable cause before submitting a search warrant to the court. Once the search warrant is approved by the judge, the investigators can submit it to telephone carriers, which will provide the real-time GPS location of suspects to investigators.
Sanchez provided examples of exigent circumstances: A family member contacts the Pasadena Police Department and reports that their loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis and is contemplating suicide. Police dispatchers would immediately send an emergency ping request to the phone provider of the family member, which would enable officers to access real-time GPS data.
Kidnapping was another example of an exigent circumstance cited by Sanchez.
Even with exigency, Sanchez said investigators have to present a search warrant to the court for it to review and approve within 72 hours.
Sanchez clarified that the equipment can locate handsets but has no ability to listen to calls or read content.
According to Sanchez, the Asset Forfeiture funding could be used to purchase the device. The amount is not indicated in the report.
“There’s no reason why Pasadena should not have this tool,” said Councilmember Steve Madison. “I can imagine a lot of ways this could result in less use of force, less violence in the community, more officer safety.”
“I’m definitely supportive [of this],” Madison added.
Concilmember Tyron Hampton, who also expressed support, said he requested the technology to be purchased by the City in the past.
“I think this is a no brainer. This is something that we can use to apprehend individuals who decide they want to murder residents in our city,” Hampton said. “I think we need to give our officers the technology they possibly need to be able to apprehend individuals.”
While it was supported by several Councilmembers during the meeting, there was some community pushback from commenters due to concerns that the device can be used to access communications and private data of the public.
The item was for information only and no vote is required from the City Council.
Before ending the meeting, the Committee Councilmembers agreed to require the Pasadena Police Department to present the policy on use of Cellular Site Simulator to the Community Police Oversight Commission and return to the Public Safety Committee at a future meeting.
“We were always seeking to strike the balance between public safety and individuals’ privacy and constitutional rights,” Gordo said. “I do think we should narrowly tailor the policies to ensure that we are putting in place all safeguards to give community assurance that while we are going to employ the latest technology we’re going to do so responsibly.”
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