McMiIlan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Daniela Navin <(
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 3:32 PM
Sabha, Tamer
Rivas, Jessica
MILITARY EXERCISES AT ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL SITE Community concerns regarding recent tactical training operations in a residential area.
Dear Public Safety Committee,
As a resident in Pasadena, I was alarmed to receive a short notice informing us of a military operation. The notification did not include key details such as the exact location, or the who, what, when, and why of the activity. I called dispatch during the incident and was told there was no information available, which was concerning and added to the confusion many of us experienced in real time. There was no meaningful advance notice, and no additional information was provided during the event, leaving residents completely unaware of what was unfolding.
I then went to observe the training exercise firsthand, and the scale and intensity were striking, heavy simulated gunfire, explosions, helicopters overhead, and a highly coordinated tactical operation that, without any context, appeared to many residents like an active emergency or war like situation.
This activity took place in and around residential streets near the former St. Luke's Hospital site, an area where families live, children are present, and people expect a reasonable sense of safety and normalcy. The tack of clear communication only increased alarm and uncertainty, leaving residents to speculate or call emergency services simply to understand what was happening in their own neighborhood.
I also observed Pasadena Police Department personnel actively directing traffic and managing road closures throughout the exercise. This raises important community questions about resource allocation, staffing demands, overtime costs, and the broader budgetary impact of such operations. Significant public safety resources were deployed, personnel, vehicles, equipment, fuel, and interagency coordination, but there has been no clear public explanation of the total cost or how these expenses are justified within already constrained municipal budgets.
In this case, many residents were left alarmed and uninformed during the event itself, which undermines trust and creates unnecessary confusion.
What was especially alarming was how easily a large-scale federal and law enforcement operation of this nature could be carried out in the middle of a residential area with limited public awareness or meaningful community input. It raises serious concerns about how such decisions are made and how little visibility residents have into the planning process.
Going forward, the city and community should consider how to organize and advocate for stronger safeguards, including clearer approval processes, mandatory advance public notification, and defined limits on the use of residential neighborhoods for high intensity training exercises. Residents should have a voice in whether this type of activity is appropriate in their community, and there should be accountability measures in place before similar operations are approved in the future.
From a community perspective, I do not believe exercises of this scale and intensity are appropriate in residential neighborhoods. At a minimum residents deserved clear and timely advance notice with full details, dispatch should be fully briefed to provide accurate information, and there should be full transparency regarding both the necessity and the public cost of the. exercise.
Our neighborhoods should not experience routine training activities in a way that feels indistinguishable from a real emergency. Clear communication, accountability, and respect for the community should be the 1^'ao^^llnrf'^ r»+nr^<-l<-ir/^
Thank you,
Daniela
District 3 Resident