Pasadena's Human Relations Commission is assigning commissioners to collect hate crime data from the police department and define the city's advisory role ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games at the Rose Bowl, according to the panel's fiscal year 2026–2027 work plan, which was scheduled for adoption at its Tuesday, July 7, meeting.

The work plan, running through June 1, 2027, divides the commission's seven active members into three ad hoc committees. The two highest-profile tasks: Commissioners Katie Young and Nat Nehdar will gather data on hate incidents and hate crimes from the Pasadena Police Department, while Commissioners Paul McGee and Jonathan Horton will work with city staff to carve out the commission's role in Olympic planning.

Vacancies and capacity

The commission is taking on this agenda with two open seats — District 3 and the mayor-appointed position — and a staff transition. Lola Osborne, who previously staffed the panel, left the city, and Enrique Arroyo was introduced as acting deputy director on an interim basis at the June 16 meeting.

Hate crime data push

Young, who was elected commission chair on June 16, pressed for the hate-data initiative at the panel's May 5 meeting, asking PPD Sergeant Barry Glockson to provide updates on previously reported hate crimes, including any information on arrests or prosecutions. Glockson agreed to supply hate crime updates going forward.

The Pasadena Police Department has not published city-specific hate crime statistics. Countywide, Los Angeles County recorded 1,355 hate crime victims in 2024, according to the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations. Anti-Black incidents accounted for 51% of those cases, and hate crimes against the Middle Eastern community increased sevenfold.

"These findings should be alarming, reflecting the persistence of high levels of hate," Robin Toma, executive director of the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations, said in the county's 2024 report.

Olympics and fire recovery

Deputy City Manager Alexander Souto is scheduled to present on Olympic-related activities in Pasadena at the commission's Tuesday, August 4, meeting. The Rose Bowl has been confirmed as a venue for knockout and medal soccer matches during the 2028 Games.

The work plan also tasks Young and Nehdar with collaborating with the Pasadena Fire Department on fire recovery and disaster preparedness. The January 2025 Eaton Fire killed 19 people and devastated West Altadena, a historically Black middle-class neighborhood adjacent to Pasadena.

A third ad hoc committee, led by Commissioners Sandy Greenstein and Rev. Michael Roffina, will co-sponsor United Against Hate Week in October 2026, nominate residents for Human Relations Trailblazer Awards, and review the commission's community concerns survey.

What's next

The work plan will be included in the commission's annual report submitted in August 2026, which then goes through the City Council committee review process. The commission's next regular meeting is Tuesday, August 4, at the Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 North Fair Oaks Ave. Residents can submit written comments to [email protected] or attend in person. Language translation services are available with 72 hours' notice by calling (626) 744-7925.