BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Bakersfield Police Department has had problems with excessive use-of-force, policy, and transparency. The issues were put at the center of a California Department of Justice Investigation eight years ago. Now, with the deaths of George Floyd and, just last week, Tyre Nichols, demands for police reform have grown even louder.
In January, the third-party Bakersfield Monitor overseeing policy change at BPD as a result of the DOJ investigation released their first annual report. The monitor looked at efforts to improve use-of-force policy, transparency, and enhance the relationship between BPD and the community.
The report looks at progress from January 1 to October of 2022, and although this first year focused on data production, according to BPD Sergeant Robert Pair, there are changes already being fleshed out.
"There has been the establishment of review, of a quality assurance unit that randomly audits body camera footage, and determines by diving into the actual data," said Pair. "We are looking at everything."
Pair says the review is essentially changing how the department does business. There are project teams for several topics, including arrest and detention, vehicle stops, and use-of-force. Each one has a focus group composed of BPD officers, experts in the topic, and a whole lot of research.
Additionally, because no police department can function effectively without the support of the community, the unit also created a community advisory working group composed of about 20 community members.
One of the community advisory group members, Traco Matthews, is a pastor with the Church of God.
"The advisory panel and BPD will have to consistently solicit the voice of all communities to make sure we are following through, BPD is following through on what they said they are going to, and that it is effectively helping restore trust," said Matthews.
The advisory panel met for the first time on January 19, and Matthews says they are all committed to keeping this effort going, planning to meet every two weeks, at least for the beginning stretch.
Matthews was actually part of a similar panel created back in 2021 as a result of the death of George Floyd. During May 2021, that panel presented 20 recommendations, some of which are already in place.
"So they [BPD] have been partnering with Kern Behavioral Mental Health and Recovery Services, there have been folks a part of the dispatch team. So whenever someone is having a mental health crisis, instead of sending officers out there, they get to connect with someone who could potentially help them through that crisis," said Matthews, saying that this changed has reduced the potential for escalation.
This new panel has to send their findings to the third-party monitor, who then sends them to the Department of Justice, who has the final decision on if the changes meet standards.
It is clear that this will take time. The expected timeline is about three years, with one year of continued compliance. Before compliance, says Pair, comes implementation.
"You also have to show that you have trained everyone, the organization, almost 500 officers and staff. You also show that the policy is being followed, you hav to show there is compliance with the policy. So, the process is not immediate," said Pair. "However, we are working towards those goals."
More reports will be released in the coming years, but this one is over 200 pages. It really is impossible to go through every aspect of it quickly. That is why Sergeant Pair encourages everyone to read it for themselves and understand the process being used.
We asked BPD about the impact the upcoming Hulu documentary "Killing County," which will be released on Friday, looking into past cases of use-of-force by Kern law enforcement officer might have on the process. The department declined to comment on something they have not seen, but made it clear their efforts started before the documentary was shot and will continue after it airs.
