The city of Bakersfield has agreed to broad police reforms as part of a settlement with the state attorney general’s office over a long pattern of alleged abuses, officials said Monday.
The state began its investigation in 2016 after “an outcry of complaints” that included “concerns around excessive force and other serious misconduct,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The Bakersfield Police Department “failed to uniformly and adequately enforce the law, leading to a pattern or practice of conduct that deprived Bakersfield residents of their constitutional protections,” Bonta said.
Aside from using excessive force, his office found that police were making improper stops, searches and arrests; using unreasonable deadly force against those with mental disabilities; and not accommodating those who don’t speak English.
“These are serious allegations,” Bonta said.
But they were disputed by Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry.
“We do everything possible to ensure that our community is safe and that our residents are treated with respect,” he said.
Terry said his department agreed to five years of oversight by a mutually chosen independent monitor because “we believe the state’s concerns are unfounded and we have nothing to hide.”
Among other things, the monitor will review the department’s policies, training, supervision, accountability and community engagement.
Terry said he urged the city council to accept the settlement without admitting liability to avoid costly litigation and as a way of moving forward.
The announcement came about two months after the California Reporting Project found that Bakersfield police officers broke at least 45 bones in 31 people during the four years ending in 2019, though the police department decided that none of its officers violated departmental policy.
Some of the injured were later convicted of serious crimes, but others were never charged or had charges dismissed, the project found through a review of documents released under a recent California police records transparency law.
