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10 | FEBRUARY 28, 2013 - MARCH 6, 2013
Pasadena police external audit
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Chief Sanchez
ent to the citizens of Pasadena. Sandi Gibbons from The Los Angeles County District Attorney said the recent publicity saying the DA was calling for a “probe’ into Pasadena Police officers Okamoto and Broghamer published in a local daily paper was perhaps a little presumptive and somewhat misleading. “We are reviewing the matter and have no further comment at this time. The word "probe" was used in the Pasadena Star News,
not by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. There have been no news releases issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on this matter and none are planned,” said Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer. The Alternate Public Defender's offices confirmed separate investigations regarding allegations of misconduct by two Pasadena homicide detectives Okamoto and Broghamer but wouldn’t go into spe-
cific details. The reviews come after Judge Larry Fidler declared a mistrial in a murder case, and admonished Detective William Broghamer and Officer Kevin Okamoto for their "egregious" conduct during an 2007 homicide investigation. “The allegation of misconduct against the two members of our department is deeply concerning and has an immense impact on our employees and the community we serve,” said Sanchez. “I will not tolerate any misconduct. However, I would caution against broad-based assumptions of our professional men and women based on the allegations against a few,” Sanchez concluded The audit will be conducted by Los Angelesbased Veritas Assurance Group, led by 31-year law enforcement veteran Ron Sanchez. The company will be contracted to examine cases investigated by Okamoto and Broghamer dating back to 2005 and will also examine a crosssection of Detective Bu-
reau reports and criminal case filings to ensure consistency in reporting and that procedures were followed. At the conclusion of the audit, an Executive Summary will be made available to the public. How long that will take depends on many factors. In addition to the external audit, the Pasadena Police Department’s Internal Affairs Section continues to investigate the allegations against the two officers. The department will continue to fully cooperate with any outside inquiries. “Chief Sanchez has worked diligently since his appointment in 2010 to further changes within the department’s policies, procedures and protocol to enhance accountability,” said Mayor Bill Bogaard. “While those efforts continue, we must also ensure that the residents of Pasadena have confidence in our police department, and I believe these internal and external reviews initiated by Chief Sanchez will accomplish that goal.” “The City Council Public Safety Committee
oversees City public safety programs and policies on behalf of the residents of Pasadena, to whom they are directly accountable” added Councilman Steven Madison. “As the Chair of the Public Safety Committee, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, I will work with my colleagues and staff to ensure that our City's public safety agencies are above reproach in their work, and I will make sure that the audit summary is shared with both
the City Council and the public.” “I remain confident in Chief Sanchez’s leadership and the overall professionalism of the Pasadena Police Department,” added City Manager Michael Beck. “The City of Pasadena has a proud history of community policing and of delivering a high quality of service. Until every member of the community feels secure in their local government, there is more work to be done.”
Mayor Bogaard -Photos by Terry Miller