About

Department History

Early City Marshals

The City of Pasadena was incorporated in 1928 and the first City Marshal, B. H. Pitts, was appointed. He was followed by Aubrey Cruse and O. C. King. City marshals handled law enforcement in the city until the formation of the Pasadena Police Department in 1937. J. C. Drury was the first official Chief of Police. Chief Drury and four officers policed the city from 1937 to 1939 with one police car.

Old photo of Pasadena Police Department staff

Department Growth

A new chief was appointed in 1939. From then to the present time, the department has had 14 chiefs. It has grown from one vehicle to a fleet of 323 and from four officers to approximately 280 officers and 78 civilians. The police station has also changed from three offices to a new 80,000+ square foot police station.

Modern photo of Pasadena Police Department building

The Department Today

Today the department's 280 officers patrol 67 square miles, serving approximately 153,000 citizens. They utilize a state of the art dual 800 megahertz radio system, with virtually an unlimited number of talk groups, digital C.A.D. (computer aided dispatch system) and M.D.C.'s (mobile data computers). In addition, each officer has a hand held radio and lap top computers available to assist them. On average, the department responds to approximately 100,000 calls for service per year.