South Pasadena Police Department

If the South Pasadena Police Department has arrested or is investigating a family member, you or a loved one, it is common to need to know the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense (if an own recognizance (OR) release is denied), the evidence needed to convict one for the crime that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime. 

 
We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is also prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be helpful to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the city’s demographics, the most common types of crime the department investigates and just a bit about the city’s history to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful.  This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective.

This article is presented with this goal in mind.

The South Pasadena police department is staffed by thirty sworn police officers and eleven non-sworn staff personnel.  The city had a population of 25.619 as of 2010, spread out over 3.42 square miles. 

 
"Mom and Pop" merchants populate the business district, and the Mission West area is a part of the original U.S. Route 66.  Of historical relevance is The Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain, as well as the Rialto Theatre.  The Rialto Theatre, in downtown South Pasadena, is a unique blend of Spanish Baroque and Egyptian stylings and was built in 1925.  It is one of the last remaining single screen cinemas in the country.  The Rialto was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.   It went out of business on August 19, 2007, because of low profits.  It has been featured in many films and commercials.

South Pasadena can often be seen in motion picture productions with its tree-lined streets and "anywhere in America" feel.

South Pasadena, together with a broad coalition of national, state and local organizations, has opposed the 710 Freeway (“Long Beach Freeway” or I-710) extension from Alhambra's Valley Blvd. to the Foothill Freeway (I-210) in Pasadena at California Blvd.  The proposed 1960’s route would have sliced through the middle of the city, as well as through neighborhoods in El Sereno and Pasadena having an impact on nearly 1,000 homes in its path.  However, this incomplete situation cuts off a north–south route from the San Gabriel Mountains in the north to Long Beach in the south, as well as connecting the 710 to the 110, 134, and 210 freeways.

In May 2017, the MTA board voted unanimously to withdraw its support for the 710 tunnel proposal, and to reallocate all funding previously earmarked for it to surface street and other improvements, effectively killing the project for the foreseeable future.

he racial makeup of South Pasadena as of 2010 was 54.3% White (43.6% Non-Hispanic White), 3.0% African American, 31.1% Asian and 18.6% Hispanic or Latino. 

According to the 2010 United States Census, South Pasadena had a median household income of $85,058, with 6.7% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

As might be expected, crime is relatively low in South Pasadena, although the area is an attractive target for burglars due to the high property values there. 

Neighborhood Scout's analysis reveals that South Pasadena's rate for property crime is nineteen per one thousand population.  This makes South Pasadena a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes.  Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in South Pasadena is one in 54.

FBI data reveals that violent crime in South Pasadena occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America.  The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in South Pasadena; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 550.  This equates to a rate of two per one thousand inhabitants, which is far lower than most other areas in Los Angeles County.

For more information about being arrested and possibly facing a criminal case, please click on the following articles:

Below is the Google Map to the South Pasadena Police Department.