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Kevin Bautista
Professor Ogden
Engl 001A
03 March 2016
The Cause and Effect of Pasadena's Increasing Crime Rates
Pasadena, the city of roses with its history land marks and great events like the Rose
Parade, concerts, and Rose Bowl events which create some of the reasons why the city is full of
energy and color. The city has a big population and according to the United States Census shows,
"population estimate, July 1, 2014 140,881." The increasing crimes in Pasadena in 2015 are
burglary, thefts and motor vehicle thefts while homicides have declined the others have increased
which is still a problem in Pasadena. The causes for this increase of crimes are the Proposition
47, high cost of living, better jobs. These are some of the many reasons why the city is increasing
in crimes but until then Pasadena is working on fighting the problem before it is too late.
The first cause for the increasing in crimes in the city is Proposition 47. Since it has
passed in November this has released 3,700 inmates from the state prison. Pasadena does have a
drug environment, you may not notice it by south of the 210 freeway where the residents live
well but the central/ west of the core of Pasadena, drugs are in constant motion and according to
"The Christian Science Monitor" article, it states, "Proposition 47, also known as the "safe
Neighborhoods and Schools Act," a ballot that downgraded minor offenses such as drug
possession and thefts from felonies to misdemeanors." This has given the chance to some of the

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inmates to be released and with no money the affect would be to sell drugs either again or to
make money for their next journey and this poisons the residents of Pasadena. With Proposition
47 in mind, it could increase the drug war in the city and increase homicides including other
violent acts due to drugs flowing more through the city.
The high cost of living is another cause why the city has increased in violent crimes. The
increasing rent can have a major affect on how much money there is left over for the month in
addition, the increasing population per property can increase the crime as more people have to
pay together just to make rent for the next month. With the amount of stress the people are going
through the side effects are increased fights, burglary, vehicle theft, or robbery. According to
Rent Jungle says, "As of February 2016, average apartment rent within 10 miles of Pasadena, CA
is $2055. One bedroom apartments in Pasadena rent for $1900 a month on average and two
bedroom apartment rents average $2384." This just shows why the people in Pasadena are doing
more crimes to somehow make it through the next month's rent, food, bills, necessities, ect.
The ratio of jobs in Pasadena with the cost of living is becoming unfair. With the wages
of no more than $15 an hour it gets difficult to earn more. If you live in Pasadena usually you
have to look for work either in LA just to make decent money but that becomes a commute.
According to Pasadena Weekly it says, "Pasadena residents making less than $15 per hour are
concentrated in a few industries. Retail trade is the largest low-wage employer with more than
3,000 workers, over one-half of the retail labor force, earning less than $15 per hour. In food and
drink services, over 70 percent of the workforce, about 2,500 Pasadena's, earns less than $15 per
hour. Health care and education also have significant number of low-wage workers, although not

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surprisingly, in those industries a majority earns more than $15 per hour. The affect of this will
increase the city's crime rate. Residents will turn into drugs either using or selling to make more or
to control depression. While many Pasadena residents are roomating to survive, the jobs are far
away and not enough good paying jobs in the city and this can become a problem.
The Pasadena residents are continuing to struggle the fight for an increase in wage or better
paying jobs closer to the city. While residents need to commute to other main cities like LA, this
can become very difficult and stressful that the lower wage residents will have to commit robbery,
theft, burglary, ect. to make ends meet. Proposition 47 can affect the increasing crimes that would
affect the people around them, in addition with higher cost of living and low wage jobs can also
make it very difficult to where the residents have to turn on each other to survive. These problems
can have a big impact on the causes of the city's increasing crime but with the problems still
present, the result can be an increase in the city's violent crime statistics. At the end Pasadena has
to reorganized the energy to these people and create projects that will impact the movement for its
people that will decrease the violent crimes in the beautiful city of Pasadena.

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Works Cited
1) "What you need to know about Proposition 47." California Department of
Corrections and

Rehabilitation. California Department of Corrections &

Rehabilitation, n.n. Web. 04 Mar.

2016.

2) Aridi, Sara. "Los Angeles responds to rising 2015 crime rates." The
Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 09 Jul. 2015. Web.
04 Mar. 2016.
3) "Rent trend data in Pasadena, California." Rent Jungle. The Rainmaker
Group, 2014. Web. 04

Mar. 2016.

3) Maier, Mark. "Pasadena's tale of two cities: 2014 Edition." Pasadena

Weekly. n/a, 04 Dec,

2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2016

4) "Table." United States Census Bureau. n/a, Web. 28 Jan, 2016.

5) "Pasadena Police Chief Asks for Help Fighting Violence during Hillsides
Peace Forum."
2016

Hillsides Creating Lasting Change. n/a, n.d. Web. 04 Mar,