BPD Monitoring Team holds first in-person discussion
May 11—The Bakersfield Monitoring Team conducted its first in-person community listening session Tuesday to hear residents' concerns about the Bakersfield Police Department.
The BPD entered into a five-year stipulated agreement with the California Attorney General's Office in August 2021 after the state attorney general found the BPD violated residents' constitutional rights. By entering into the agreement, the department did not admit to any legal fault, but promised a series of reforms. The monitoring team's duty is to oversee the implementation of the agreed-upon reforms.
The BPD was required to reform its use-of-force policy, how searches and seizures are conducted, how it engages with those suffering from mental health crises and how it processes complaints, according to the complaint filed by the attorney general. Of 420 paragraphs listed in the complaint, 167 are requirements the BPD must meet over the next five years, said Debra Kirby, part of the monitoring team.
"It was really important to us to get the feedback from the folks who live in the community, because you know more about your communities then we do," said Michael Dirden, a member of the monitoring team.
The session began with attendees sharing their traumatic experiences with the police, with some saying they are scared to call the cops because it may be more harmful than helpful. Alicia Huerta, 62, recalled a time when her teenage son and his friend were stopped by police in east Bakersfield and they had a gun pulled on them, despite the fact that they weren't committing any crime.
"That's traumatic," Huerta said, speaking of the impact of the police on her son.
Some attendees, who declined to give their names, said police officers don't respond fast enough to their concerns.
A concern exists with the police's priorities, noted Robert Boehmer, who guided the discussion as part of the monitoring team: Authorities failed to appear in certain circumstances, but then also incorrectly diverted their attention to innocent people, he said.
A potential resolution to this problem, Boehmer added, is shifting department culture to promote greater trust between local law enforcement and the communities it serves.
Huerta also questioned priorities in the BPD's budget, which was recently released, noting the money spent on the agency increases every year. More money may be going to cars, which conduct enforcement stops, when the dollars need to be funneled into helping officers change the agency's culture with better oversight, she added.
Nadine Escalante, a community advocate, said she wanted to bring a small group of people to chat with Assistant Chief Mike Hale, but the plan never came to fruition. This type of discussion could help police relate to residents' life experiences.
Kirby finished the session by saying she felt hope that the BPD could bring about real change.
"It's not going as fast as we would like," Kirby said. "But there's been significant progress in the last month."
