The Pasadena Community Police Oversight Commission is scheduled to review a new draft report on Thursday, April 9, detailing local mental health providers’ perspectives on how the Pasadena Police Department responds to individuals experiencing behavioral health crises — and identifying areas where training, coordination, and dispatch practices could be strengthened.
The draft report, prepared by a commission ad hoc committee, summarizes themes gathered during a roundtable discussion with eight local mental health and social service organizations. Participating groups included D’Veal Family and Youth Services, Foothill Family, Friends In Deed, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Salvation Army – Hope Center, Shower of Hope, Sycamores, and Union Station Homeless Services. The discussion focused on the providers’ interactions with police and their clients’ experiences during crisis situations.
During the upcoming meeting, commissioners will consider the report’s key findings, which highlight the effectiveness of specialized units such as the Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) teams. Providers noted these teams often achieve more constructive outcomes due to their training in trauma-informed care and their ability to build rapport with clients. However, the report also indicates that these specialized teams are limited in number and availability, and that staffing turnover can disrupt continuity of care, leading to varied outcomes when regular patrol officers respond to crisis calls.
The commission is also set to discuss identified gaps in training and collaboration. According to the draft report, service providers perceive that patrol officers do not consistently receive training on mental health crisis intervention, homelessness service systems, or how to effectively partner with resources such as the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Field Intervention Teams. Providers expressed concern that officers sometimes default to enforcement-first approaches, which can undermine the trust that providers have carefully built with their clients. Some providers, including Union Station Homeless Services, offer training to HOPE officers that regular patrol officers do not typically receive, and organizations such as NAMI offer Crisis Intervention Training that could support broader police training efforts.
Another significant area of discussion will be dispatch and triage practices. The report notes that non-emergency response times for mental health crisis calls can range from approximately 45 to 60 minutes, causing frustration for caregivers and service staff. Furthermore, providers indicated that the language used during dispatch calls — such as describing an individual as homeless rather than elderly — appears to influence response priority, prompting some providers to carefully wordsmith the information they provide to dispatch to ensure an appropriate and timely response.
The ad hoc committee’s report outlines several areas for further review and inquiry that the commission will consider. These include evaluating the capacity and staffing levels of specialized response teams, reviewing the frequency and content of mandatory crisis intervention training for all officers, and examining dispatch procedures to ensure timely and appropriate prioritization of mental health calls. The committee also suggests exploring whether regular non-emergency engagement opportunities between officers, service providers, and clients — such as Coffee with a Cop events — could help foster positive relationships and reduce anxiety during crisis encounters.
If the commission ultimately votes to recommend any policy or training changes based on this report, those proposals would be strictly advisory. The City Council retains final authority over any binding decisions regarding Pasadena Police Department operations, policies, or funding allocations.
The Community Police Oversight Commission is scheduled to meet at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Council Chambers, Room S249, at Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.
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