California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday that the city of Bakersfield and the Bakersfield Police Department have agreed to jointly adopt a five-year plan of reforms, which will be overseen by an independent monitor.
The reforms include outfitting officers with body cameras, improving use-of-force reporting, collecting data under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act, collaborating with the community and prioritizing the use of deescalation practices.
“I’m committed to strengthening trust between our communities and law enforcement. That is a critical part of public safety,” said Bonta.
“These reforms are both needed and necessary. For Californians who are hurting, trust will not come back overnight — and we cannot afford to be complacent. We must continue to engage and stay on task. Justice demands it.”
The stipulated judgement followed a 2016 civil investigation into BPD by the state’s Department of Justice. The department found that BPD failed to uniformly enforce the law and was engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprived the city’s residents of their constitutional protections. The Department of Justice alleged in a complaint that BPD committed unreasonable stops, searches, arrests and seizures. Additionally, BPD was found to have unreasonably used deadly force against people experiencing a mental health crisis.
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BPD Chief Greg Terry began by thanking his department’s officers at Monday’s press conference.
“After much deliberation, and upon my recommendation, the City decided to adopt this agreement; the decision came down to a choice between litigating the past or controlling our future, reassuring our community, and moving forward in a positive way,” said Terry of the agreement.
He went on to say that the department has already begun implementing the changes stipulated in the agreement and affirmed his commitment to the reforms.
“The men and women of the Bakersfield Police Department will work diligently to honor this agreement with professionalism, commitment and integrity. We will hold ourselves accountable and be a strong partner, consistent with our mission and responsibility to the City Council and residents that we serve.”
The full stipulated agreement is available here. The Department of Justice’s complaint is available to read here.