Stipulated Judgment
In August 2021, the California Department of Justice (CALDOJ) entered into a stipulated judgment with the City of Bakersfield (City) and the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) regarding BPD’s policies and practices. As part of the agreement, the City and BPD will engage in a comprehensive set of actions – overseen by an independent monitor – to promote public safety, strengthen oversight and accountability systems, continue to increase support for officers, and protect the statutory and constitutional rights of the people of Bakersfield.
2023 Use of Force Review
This report provides a baseline data comparison on UOF in BPD during the first two years under the Summary Judgment. It is not a compliance report, but rather is a baseline for future monitoring efforts and improvements in practices by BPD. The Bakersfield Monitoring Team reports on BPD’s sufficiency and quality of reporting a use of force incident and the subsequent supervisory investigation by BPD. The analysis included a sample of UOF investigations for 2022 and 2023, in addition to 2023 data.
This report is intended to inform the stakeholders to this process and the Bakersfield community where BPD has demonstrated compliance with the Summary Judgment, where there is the presence of emerging good practice and trends in the application of force in Bakersfield and where improvements are needed.
Year One Monitoring Report
The Monitor’s Year One Report was filed with the Court on January 13, 2023.
Year Two Monitoring Report
The Monitor is pleased to report that the Year Two Report was filed with the Court on January 19, 2024. The BPD made progress in Year Two, and we anticipate measurable success in Year Three as the department moves toward the reform goals it agreed upon as outlined in the Stipulated Judgment.