Pasadena police could train up to 10 officers to fly drones, and a new mental health program could begin serving young children from Eaton Fire-affected families, if the Finance Committee approves two grants Tuesday.

The committee meets Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, Room S249, with Mayor Victor Gordo chairing. Two action items top the agenda: a $39,196 federal grant for police drone training and a $265,000 grant from L.A. Care Health Plan for an infant and early childhood mental health program.

Drone training expansion

The Pasadena Police Department applied April 29 for a U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to fund training and certification courses for unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, operators, according to the staff report prepared by Lt. Domino Scott-Jackson. The grant requires no city matching funds.

Right now, only the department's SWAT team is approved to operate drones and has trained personnel, the report states. The $39,196 would cover training and travel for up to 10 additional officers to earn UAS certification, expanding the program beyond SWAT.

The department has been working toward broader drone use for months. The Community Police Oversight Commission sent 27 policy recommendations to Chief Eugene Harris in April. The department agreed to all 27 in its July 9 response, including prohibitions on weaponized drones and facial-recognition technology, limits on generalized surveillance, and privacy safeguards near schools and hospitals.

The Public Safety Committee reviewed the updated drone policy at its Sept. 16 meeting. The department sought authorization to expand UAS use from SWAT-only operations to citywide public safety missions. The federal grant period runs through Oct. 1, 2028.

Eaton Fire mental health program

The second item asks the committee to accept $265,000 from L.A. Care Health Plan's Wildfire Relief Fund to create a two-year program focused on children ages 0 to 5 showing social-emotional challenges after the Eaton Fire.

The city's Office of the Young Child partnered with the Pasadena Public Health Department on the application. The program would deploy a mental health consultant and trained interns to work directly with children, families and educators, according to the report by Eva Rivera, coordinator for the Office of the Young Child.

The grant is expected to serve up to 24 children and families affected by the fire over its two-year term, running November 2026 through October 2028. It would also fund one new full-time, limited-term program coordinator position.

The city would contribute about $113,000 in in-kind support: roughly $52,000 from the Public Health Department and $61,000 from the City Manager's Office for personnel, data reporting, equipment and supplies, according to the agenda. Public Health Director Manuel Carmona concurred with the proposal. Interim City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth approved both staff reports.

The staff report cites Medi-Cal funding reductions that it says will affect 36% of children in the Pasadena and Altadena area, or 57,136 children. A preliminary study presented to the city's Human Services Commission on Oct. 14 found that 52% of participants from fire-affected school communities screened positive for probable post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, Pasadena Now reported. That study's authors labeled the findings preliminary, not a clinical diagnosis or population-wide estimate.

The committee also will receive an informational report on citywide grants activity through June 30. Councilmembers Tyron Hampton, Rick Cole and Gene Masuda serve alongside Gordo on the panel.

Residents can attend in person at 100 North Garfield Ave. or join remotely at cityofpasadena.net/cczoom. Public comment is limited to two minutes per speaker.