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ONE HUNDRED NORTH GARFIELD AVENUE �
PoOR4rED
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
January 26 , 1994 FAX X (818)18) 1
405-3921
City Council of the
City of Palm Desert
73-510 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, California 92260
RE: Pasade is Resolution #7045 - Eradical i ng. Rampant Violence
Dear City Councilmembers :
With each passing day, news magazines, newspapers, and other
forms of mass media document the infestation of violence plaguing
California cities, and cities across America. That kind of news
is deeply troubling. But on a positive note, and in response to
that violence, we are witnessing a rebirth of community activism.
This time that activism is centered on eradicating violence.
Here in the City of Pasadena, the residents are energized and
determined to implement concrete actions to address this problem.
As the Mayor of Pasadena, it has been personally heartening to
see the community coalition which formed after the recent murder
of three youngsters on Halloween night . The Pasadena Coalition
for a Nonviolent City is an action-oriented grassroots movement .
Its aim is "to reduce violence and its impact on Pasadena
citizens and to create a secure, nurturing community for every
resident, especially children and youth. " The task of the
Coalition is to intervene directly in the immediate crisis of
escalating violence, and also to address the structural and
systemic causes of violence.
On December 14, 1993 , one of the steps our City Council took was
to adopt a Coalition-sponsored Resolution which focused on some
of the contributors to the immediate crisis of violence,
including the proliferation of awesome firepower on our streets .
Resolution #7045 was adopted at a public meeting with lively
public participation. Many of the points enumerated in the
Resolution relate to legislative advocacy and community
mobilization.
Unless we are content with the bloody status quo, local
communities must become engaged in this dialogue about the
eradication of violence in our midst .
City Councilmembers Page 2 January 26, 1994
This is a tough subject to talk about because crime and violence
are complex issues. But we need to ask ourselves whether the "pat
answers" really make sense anymore and whether we need to rethink
all our assumptions about this issue. We also need to listen to
one another and attack this issue from many different
perspectives .
To that end, I would encourage you to place this matter on your
agenda and adopt similar Resolutions and action plans . Staff in
the City Manager' s Office and the City Attorney' s Office are
available to assist you with any question you may have concerning
this Resolution. Please call those offices at (818) 405-4222 and
405-4141 respectively.
As local leaders, we have a responsibility to initiate this
dialogue on the eradication of violence. If we do not take
action now, there is a very good chance that in a future we will
live to see, our beloved cities will be unrecognizable.
Thank you for your consideration of this Resolution.
S ' re
RICK COLE
Mayor
Attachment
CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
APPROVED DE'?EED
RECEIVED OT �� � vL�`�C
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AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
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VERIFIED BY:
Origi .a1 on File w��h'i-ty Clerk's Of:�. .c e
CWILLIA 11959.\1/14/94
RESOLUTION NO. 7045
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PASADENA RELATED TO COMBATTING RAMPANT VIOLENCE
IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH JOINT EFFORTS AT THE
LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS
WHEREAS, the City of Pasadena is committed to working
towards improving community safety as a part of the Healthy
Cities Project; and,
WHEREAS, gun violence in Pasadena is a health, safety
and economic issue costing lives and destroying the quality of
life for residents; and,
WHEREAS, a recent escalation in acts of violence in the
City, including the ambush murder of three teenagers on Halloween
night, has highlighted the urgency of undertaking a multi-prong
approach to combatting a situation which is poisoning the life of
the community; and,
WHEREAS, murderous violence is increasingly
traumatizing the entire City; and
WHEREAS, Pasadena Police Department records show that
during calendar year 1993 , 27 murders occurred in the City of
Pasadena, 24 of which were gun-related; and,
WHEREAS, Pasadena Police Department records demonstrate
that 34 incidents of drive-by shootings occurred during the same
time period; and,
WHEREAS, residents in all districts of the City are
impacted by the easy availability of guns and ammunition, and the
fear of becoming a random victim of violence at some time in the
future; and,
WHEREAS, the City believes an effective way to combat
this problem is to mount a holistic approach to the eradication
of violence within the community and mobilize residents to deal
with this cancer in our midst; and,
WHEREAS, the City desires to enact or support
legislative efforts which offer hope of controlling the
availability of guns and restore the average resident' s sense of
security;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of
the City of Pasadena that the Council is committed to taking
concrete actions to respond to the escalating threats to the
community' s physical safety; will seek singly and jointly with
other municipalities , or as a part of regional efforts, to enact
legislative initiatives; and will support community action to
abate the scourge of violence in the city. To these ends, the
Council authorizes city staff to take the following actions :
1 . Request an opinion from the California Attorney
General ' s Office as to whether a restriction on the sale of
ammunition is preempted by statutory law;
2 . Communicate to Congressional representatives the
Council' s opposition to the production and possession of assault
weapons and support of Senator Dianne Feinstein' s amendment,
SB 1607, "Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection
Act, " intended to restrict the manufacture, transfer and
possession of certain semiautomatic assault weapons and large
capacity ammunition feeding devices;
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3 . Undertake efforts, in association with the
Coalition for a Nonviolent City, to petition state and federal
legislative bodies to enact more stringent gun control measures,
including the repeal of the preemption statute in the Government
Code;
4 . Work with the League of California Cities and
county regional associations in developing a lobbying strategy on
this issue to garner the support of other cities and county
governmental bodies to advocate for legislative change at the
state level .
5 . Circulate this Resolution to other California
cities urging them to adopt similar measures .
6 . Take steps to work with the Coalition for a Non-
violent City so that the City is joined in partnership with the
Coalition in support of the holistic, preventive, anti-violence
measures identified by the Coalition' s subcommittee working on
alternatives and support for youth; and further, that the city
commit a budget line of $250 , 000 as a resource pool to be drawn
upon for initiatives that support youth.
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Adopted at the regular meeting of the City Council on the
14th day of December, 1993 , by the following vote:
Action Item #1
AYES : Councilmembers Crowfoot, Holden, Paparian,
Thomson, Vice Mayor Nack, Mayor Cole
NOES : Councilmember Richard
ABSENT: None
Action Items #2 through 5
AYES : Councilmembers Crowfoot, Holden, Vice Mayor
Nack, Mayor Cole
NOES : Councilmembers Paparian, Richard, Thomson
ABSENT: None
Action Item #6
AYES : Councilmembers Crowfoot, Holden, Paparian,
Thomson, Richard, Vice Mayor Nack, Mayor Cole
NOES : None
ABSENT: None
Ma is S . Stewart, C '
PAS
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APPROVED AS TO FORM: . : •% ik
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Carolyn .' Williamsilliams .i lTED J' •'
Deputy City Attorney ...........•''•
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