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Dec 08, 2014 | Carol E. Barnwell

Church Leaders Target Crime in North Pasadena

 

Houston – Leaders of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and The Metropolitan Organization leaders met with Pasadena Assistant Chief of Police Josh Bruegger on Sunday December 7 to ask for more patrols in their area to help reduce crime.

 

Several people told the assistant chief about home break-ins, stolen cars and local sales of drugs that, in one case, caused the suicide of a promising high school student. St. Peter’s hosted nearly 200 area residents, many spoke of their reluctance in reporting crime because of documentation issues. They were assured that police do not ask for documentation when a crime is being reported.

 

Organizers asked Bruegger to increase area patrols and partner with them in working together to reduce crime in north Pasadena. “We also need to educate the community to report crime so the police have a real view of what is occurring here,” said the Rev. Pedro Lopez, vicar of St. Peter’s.

 

The large gathering, from St. Peter’s, the local community and several other area churches, followed several months of local house meetings with residents in which crime came up time and again as a major issue in the area.

 

Lupita Elizondo, a leader from St. Peter’s, has had her house broken into three times and her car was stolen twice. “I absolutely love our community and [we] want to raise our children here, but we do not feel safe anymore.”

 

Faustina Sanchez, a leader from San Juan Diego Catholic Church, whose house was broken into recently said: “I don’t feel safe leaving my house alone anymore. And I am not ready to accept the notion that the north side of Pasadena is going to always be an area of high crime -- I am glad to be part of this effort.”

 

“It is time for our churches and other institutions as well as the families in Pasadena to take action to help reduce crime in our community,” said Lopez. “We've had too many victims of crime in our neighborhoods, and we must do something about it.”

 

Lopez went on to say that the congregation’s leaders have been working with TMO around several issues and decided to engage the police and other churches for this community action meeting. “We are committed to working together to reduce crime,” he said, adding that he was encouraged by the turnout and the attendance of several City Council members.