City Council makes no comment about report urging reforms to BPD

May 6—The Bakersfield City Council received a report on proposed reforms to the Bakersfield Police Department without comment during a meeting Wednesday.

The report, which was developed by an independent committee commissioned by the council following the death of George Floyd, attempts to renew trust between the community and BPD by reducing use of force and improving communication, among other measures.

On Wednesday, the committee's leaders presented their findings before the council for the first time. The committee, known as the Bakersfield Police Department Community Collaborative, worked for six months to develop the report and claims all the recommendations contained within rely on scientific evidence.

"We did our best to make sure there was a broad coalition of community leaders who were involved and engaged in this work so that this feedback would be as representative of as many members of this community as possible," said Traco Matthews, a member of the committee's core working group. "We think we did a pretty good job with the time that we had."

But during the meeting, some spoke out against the committee, saying BPD was beyond reforming and that the report did not reflect the true will of the people.

"It hasn't really been the outcry of the community," said Patrick Jackson, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "Until you put together something that is systemic, it's not going to change anything."

One member of the committee, Nadine Escalante, went so far as to say the committee was not given enough time to develop its recommendations.

Among the committee's recommendations was a proposal for BPD to pursue deescalation techniques and a change in K-9 policies to reduce the impression that officers use the dogs to intimidate even people who have been handcuffed.

Many public speakers spoke skeptically of the city's will to actually implement any of the recommendations. The committee urged the council to act, saying the report's conclusion was just the beginning of needed action.

"Culture has to change in order for trust to be restored or strengthened, especially for communities of color," Matthews said. "What you have written down on paper can be good, but the perception must also be pristine."

The City Manager's Office will review the report in collaboration with BPD before making its own recommendations to the council.

You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You can also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.