Bakersfield Police Department

Bakersfield Police Department
Abbreviation BPD

Patch of the Bakersfield Police Department

Badge of the Bakersfield Police Department
Agency overview
Formed 1898
Employees 477
Volunteers 12
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* City of Bakersfield in the state of California, USA
Map of Bakersfield Police Department's jurisdiction.
Size 140.53 square miles (364.0 km2)
Population 333,719 (2009)
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters 1601 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, California, 93301
Police Officers 389
Civilians 156
Agency executive Greg Williamson, Chief of Police
Facilities
Stations 5
Vehicles 239
K-9s 14
Website
Bakersfield Police
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) is the agency responsible for law enforcement within the city of Bakersfield, California, in the United States. It has over 400 officers and staff, covering an area of 131 square miles (296.3 km2) serving an urban population of more than 450,000. The current chief of the department, since 2010, is Greg Williamson. The department protects the city, split between two areas and six zones or beats with stations in each area aside from the main department headquarters. A lieutenant commands each zone. The department administration is made up of the chief of department, two assistant chiefs, four captains and eleven lieutenants.[1]

The department headquarters are located at 1601 Truxtun Ave. The west area station is located at 1301 Buena Vista Rd. The east area station is located at East 11th St. The south side sub-station is located at 106 East White Ln. The department shooting range is located on Truxtun Ave. with the K-9 training school next door to the range. The department training academy is located on Norris Rd in conjunction with the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

Mission statement

"The Bakersfield Police Department is committed to professional service which improves community safety and the quality of life by developing partnerships that promote efficient and innovative crime prevention, intervention and law enforcement service."[1]

History

The Bakersfield Police Department traces its origin to the incorporation of the City of Bakersfield in 1898. On January 13, 1898 the Bakersfield City council instituted the Bakersfield City Marshal's Office with Thomas A. Baker as its first Marshal. The police department was itself incorporated on February 27, 1915 with Jacob Horace Dupes as Chief of police.[2]

Robert B. Powers was hired as a motorcycle patrolman in 1928.[3][4] He made Chief of police of the department in 1933,[3][5][6] and instituted a number of reforms and on-the-job training.[7]:p.3–7 [8] His first major action was during the California Agricultural Strike 1933.[9] From May to Oct 1938 a murder case consumed his time - that of Mathias Warren, father to Earl Warren who was soon to be was Attorney General, then governor, and in time, supreme court judge.[7]:p.9–18[10][11] In June 1939 Powers took the stance of supporting an initiative to get women on the police force if they were college educated and paid well.[12] On July 3, 1941, the Bakersfield Police Department accepted its first female officer with the hiring of Mary Holman Dodge.[8][13][14] In 1944-5 Powers was appointed to a wartime state committee on law enforcement under then Governor Earl Warren.[7]:pp.37–41[15][16][17] Powers was also a strong voice in determining successive chiefs through to 1966.[18][19]

In 1968, the department accepted its first African-American into its ranks by the hiring of Irma Carson.

In August 1973, the department established the Bomb Squad unit with one operator in order to deal with the emerging threat of explosive ordnance in the city. Today, the squad consists of five bomb detective technicians and two robots.[20]

In June 1988, the department started its K-9 unit, consisting of five officers and 5 working dogs.[21] On February 8, 1994, the Bakersfield Police Activities League was established for at risk youth in the city. In June 1999, the department made city history with the promotion of Eric L. Mattlock as the first African-American chief of police for Bakersfield. On July 8, 2003, the Bakersfield Police Department started a School Resource Officer program by assigning a small detail to local city elementary schools.[22]

In July 2003, the BPD investigated one of Bakersfield's most heinous and high profile crimes; The Harper family murders. The killing of two adults and three children in their own home sparked international media coverage and an investigation that would cross the entire United States.

The BPD was able to solve the case and make an arrest of one of the victims husband, Vincent Brothers. On May 15, 2007, Brothers was convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree. The conviction was due to the efforts of the investigations bureau of the Bakersfield Police Department.

In April 2010, the BPD promoted its first female in the departments history to the rank of Captain with the promotion of Hajir Nuridin.

Rank structure

The BPD uses a standard paramilitary rank structure.

Title Insignia
Chief of Department
Assistant Chief of Department
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Detective
Senior Officer
Officer

Assignments

Bakersfield, CA Police Building
Bakersfield, CA Police east side substation

Sworn assignments

Non-sworn assignments

Vehicles and equipment

The Bakersfield Police Department employs the latest in uniforms, equipment and vehicles.[1]

Uniforms and equipment

The BPD basic patrol uniform consists of Flying Cross brand B Class uniform in midnight navy blue. Traffic officers wear a similar uniform, the only difference being the thicker motorcycle pants with a gold and blue braid stripe running the length of the pant legs and long black riding boots. Patrol officers, during spring-summer seasons, are authorized to wear either white or navy blue polo shirts with the department badge embroidered. 5.11 Tactical shorts in midnight navy are also authorized during hot weather conditions. K-9 officers normally wear the Spiewak brand B Class uniform, but are authorized to wear black 5.11 tactical duty uniforms when training or during inclement weather operations. All officers in uniform or working field assignments wear Second Chance Level III-A body armor.

The BPD has established a standard training uniform for officers. This consists of a navy blue 5.11 Tactical polo shirt with embroidered department badge and name in gold, khaki 5.11 Tactical tactical pants and tan desert service boots.

Standard uniform equipment consists of Bianchi AccuMold Elite duty gear with a Safariland Model 6355 Belt Drop, Level III Retention holster, First Defense MK-4 Large Duty Size pepper spray, X-26P TASER electronic less lethal weapon, Diamondwood straight stick baton, and two sets of Peerless chain link handcuffs. Motorola hand-held radios are standard carry.

The BPD Special Enforcement Unit uses most of the same uniforms and equipment as stated above, but are also allowed civilian clothing for undercover operations. Raid vests are used for executing warrant searches and field assignments.

The BPD Civil Disturbance Team wears black 5.11 Tactical two-piece tactical duty uniforms, Galls Upper Body Protection System foam chest protectors, Bell RS100 tactical helmets, MSA Advantage 1000 CBA/RCA gas masks, and Galls shin guards. Flex-cuffs are standard carry for riot situations.

The BPD Bomb Squad wears Advance Tactical Camouflage System (A-TACS) AU camouflage pattern TRU-SPEC X-treme tactical uniforms with subdued tan tactical department patches for operations involving the unit. The Bomb Squad uses the First Defense EOD Bomb Disposal Suit for its EOD operations as well as two bomb disposal robots.

The BPD SWAT team wears Crye Precision MultiCam camouflage TRU-SPEC tactical response uniforms with coyote brown tactical department patches, Crye Precision jumpable modular plate carriers with Level IV hard armor plates in MultiCam camouflage, Avon FM53 protective masks, and Safariland 6004 tactical holsters. Coyote tan Ops-Core brand FAST ballistic helmets are worn during operations along with 3M Peltor COMTAC III tactical communication headsets.

Weapons

All police officers of the Bakersfield Police Department are issued a department standard sidearm. The current issue weapon is the Glock model 17 9mm handgun.

Patrol officers of the BPD are given the option of carrying either a Remington Model 870 12-gauge shotgun or a Colt AR-15 5.56 mm Government carbine as a vehicle stationed arm.

The BPD Civil Disturbance Team uses a variety of non-lethal riot control weapons. These include Penn Arms L8-40 fixed stock 40mm multi-launcher Riot gun firing rubber, wood, or riot-control agents, Precision Ordnance Products 'Stingball' grenades, Defense Technology 'Han-Ball' and 'Tripple Chaser' CS grenades, 12 gauge bean-bag, rubber and wood rounds fired from Remington 870 shotguns, X-26 tasers, and Monadnock polycarbonate riot batons, and 48" x 24" x 1/8" concave plastic riot shields.

The BPD SWAT team uses both the Colt model LE6933 M-4 Commando and model LE6921 M-4 Carbine in 5.56 mm with both Trijicon RX30-14 Reflex and TA01NSN ACOG sights and SureFire M900A vertical foregrip weapon lights with one weapon issued with an M203 40 mm grenade launcher for less-lethal ordnance, Benelli M4 Tactical Entry 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun with ghost ring sights and SureFire handle mounted tactical lights, a Remington model 870 12-gauge pump shotgun for entry\less-lethal ordnance and a Penn Arms L8-40 fixed stock 40mm multi-launcher Riot gun firing rubber, wood, or riot-control agents. SWAT snipers use customized Remington model 700 Police 7.62 mm bolt action rifles with Leupold scopes. Entry teams use Defense Technology No.25 distraction devices as well as 'Han-Ball', 'Tripple Chaser' and 40mm launched CS grenades.

Bakersfield, CA Police cruiser
Bakersfield, CA Police off road vehicle

Vehicles

The Bakersfield Police Department operates Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors as a standard patrol vehicle. The cruisers are in the standard black and white configuration with Code 360 light bars, MX700s and newer Code 3 Defender LED Lightbars. Their standard siren system is the Code 3 MasterCom with a Z100 100W speaker, although some of the newer cruisers have new siren systems such as the Code 3 RLS. All BPD cruisers are equipped with Microsoft Windows based mobile data terminals and Motorola console communication radios. Currently, the department is now adding new equipment that will better aide officers during operations and field investigations. The new equipment is to include vehicle licence plate scanners that can search statewide databases on the spot for DUI offenses and stolen vehicles. Cruisers also carry handheld fingerprint scanners known as Blue Check for instantaneous field identification. Also, the BPD is in the use of in-car lineups software package for the mobile data terminals. The program known as COPLINK is connected to major law enforcement databases around the state of California to compile data on possible suspect information. E-cite citation devices are also carried aboard BPD cruisers. In 2013, the BPD began to implement a new patrol cruiser. The department began utilizing the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor model as the replacement for Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor as that model was no longer being produced.

The BPD K-9 unit uses both the Ford Explorer Police Utility and the Chevrolet Tahoe as patrol vehicles.

The BPD Traffic unit operates Harley Davidson Electra Glide-Police and BMW R1200RT-P motorcycles in standard black and white configuration with Motorola communication radios, Blue Check handheld fingerprint scanners, and E-cite citation devices. They also operate standard patrol cruisers with dash mounted radar for use during inclement weather. The department is currently phasing out motorcycle operations due to an increase of accidents resulting in officer injuries and medical retirements. Traffic officers will be remanded to marked patrol vehicles.

The BPD Investigations Bureau and BPD Special Operations Unit uses Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors and Ford Taurus Police Interceptor models in civilian color schemes equipped with Microsoft Windows based mobile data terminals with the Coplink system, Blue Check handheld fingerprint scanners, Motorola communication radios and dash mounted emergency lights, as well as numerous civilian vehicles for clandestine operations.

The BPD Patrol Service Technicians operate Ford F-150 and Dodge Dakota pickups in all white configuration with department logos. All pickups come equipped with Motorola console communication radios as well as various traffic control tools and devices.

The BPD also operates various specialized vehicles for different operations. These include a Ford F-350 for Commercial Vehicle Enforcement operations, six BMW G 650 Xchallenge dirt bikes for off-road and river patrol use, two Yamaha Rhino 4x4 utility vehicles for off-road and river patrol use, two enclosed Parking Enforcement scooters, Ford Econoline and Chevrolet vans for crime scene, crime prevention, prisoner transport use, one Ford Econoline E-450 RV for use by the D.U.I. Task Force and D.U.I. saturation operations, one North Star International DuraStar Custom truck for use by the Bomb Squad, one Freightliner LDV mobile command post for use in emergency operations, one specialized North Star Ford F-650 modular truck for use by the SWAT team, and one Lenco BearCat armored rescue vehicle for use in emergency recovery and SWAT operations. All vehicles are adorned with the Bakersfield Police name and logo.

Academy and training

The Bakersfield Police Department has had a variety of training academies throughout its existence. While most of the academies were run by the BPD with the goal of training solely BPD officers, there has been two occasions when the department, for fiscal reasons, joined with another agency to fund and run a joint academy to train multiple agency officers. The most recent incarnation that the BPD operated was the Bakersfield Law Enforcement Training Academy located on the grounds of Bakersfield College, which began operations in January 1999 and culminated with the graduating of Class 01/99 on June 5, 1999. The Academy continued to train officers for Bakersfield Police and other agencies until 2008 when a fiscal crisis demanded that the department once again be joined with the Kern County Sheriff Department to train law enforcement officers. Currently both the BPD and the KCSO command the Kern Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy, located on Norris Rd. The KRLETA is accredited by and follows the criteria set forth by the California commission of Peace Officers Standards and Training.

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Bakersfield Police Department, eight officers have given their lives in service to the city of Bakersfield.[23]

Officer Date of Death Details
City Marshal Thomas Jefferson Packard[24] Monday, April 20, 1903 Gunfire
Officer Frank Sparks[25] Saturday, June 16, 1917 Motorcycle accident
Officer Aaron Alexander Trent[26] Wednesday, August 22, 1917 Struck by train
Officer Floyd B.D.W. Cummings[27] Monday, January 7, 1952 Fall
Officer William Lord Rucker[28] Sunday, July 20, 1952 Motorcycle accident
Sergeant Patrick Don Vegas[29] Friday, June 20, 1980 Motorcycle accident
Officer William Leonard Sikola[30] Sunday, July 17, 1983 Vehicle pursuit
Officer David Joseph Nelson[31] Friday, June 26, 2015 Vehicle pursuit

Multimedia

The Bakersfield Police Department has established an informational website that allows the citizens of Bakersfield the opportunity to be involved in solving criminal cases within the Bakersfield community. The "Bakersfield Police Open-Case Files" is a continuously updated website that permits citizens to review open and unsolved cases and report any and all information that they may have that may assist the department in solving cold cases and leading to the arrest and conviction of outstanding criminals.[32]

The Bakersfield Police Department provides an informational website that tracts the crime rates in the city. "Bakersfield Police Crime Statistics" is an interactive website that provides the statistics for crime reporting and calls for service in a given area. Users of the site can locate their area within the city of Bakersfield and see the level of crime for a particular date. The site lists areas by maps, calls for service levels and the location of crimes that have occurred.[33]

The Bakersfield Police Department has authorized the establishment of a multimedia informational website other than their official city website. The "BPDInsider" is a monthly updated website that provides topics of interest and question that can be answered about the Bakersfield Police Department.[34] The sight was fully operational as of March 12, 2008.

The Bakersfield Police Activities League maintains a website dedicated to their efforts to prevent juvenile delinquency by providing skills through education, athletics and opportunities to at risk youth.[35]

The Bakersfield Police Officers Association maintains a website dedicated to the department's police officer union as well as giving information to the general public about officer activities and events.[36]

Controversy

Criticism

The Bakersfield Police Department has been criticized over the years for alleged heavy-handed tactics and overuse of force. In recent years, complaints regarding excessive use of force, racial profiling, harassment, and response delays have been registered by criminals, suspects, witnesses, and affected family members.

In March 2001, Tony Eddington and Robert Johnson were stopped in the city of Bakersfield for a traffic violation and ordered to strip for a roadside search. The men, both African-American, contend the search was racially motivated, and sued the BPD for damages exceeding $350,000.00. The BPD settled out of court for an undisclosed sum and have since installed a permanent policy detailing rules on when officers may conduct strip searches in the field.

There have been many complaints against the BPD for excessive use of force. Most notably is when there is an officer involved shooting. Many critics of the department have made the charge of shooting first, asking questions later and firing too many rounds at suspects. A federal probe of the BPD was begun in July 2003. The probe would seek information and investigate some 47 complaints against the BPD for use of force and racial profiling. In January 2008, the United States Department of Justice cleared the Bakersfield Police Department of any wrongdoing stemming from the complaints.

On July 5, 2008, it was announced that the BPD will begin using polygraphs as a part of the hiring process to become an officer with the department. The BPD had resisted the concept for several years as other California agencies were introducing polygraphs into their background investigations of law enforcement new hires. The new policy will take effect in early 2009.

In June 2009, the BPD began full on-line crime reporting for citizens. This is the mandatory way for residents of Bakersfield to report non-emergency crime. The department, in the past, had on-line crime reporting, but this was optional. The department now requires all non-emergency crimes to be reported on the department website instead of having a Police Service Technician respond to a call for service.[37]

In December 2015, the BPD featured as the subject of an article in The Guardian newspaper, entitled "The County: The story of America's deadliest police".[38]

Portrayals in fiction

A television sitcom entitled Bakersfield P.D. aired on the FOX network during the 1993-1994 season. It dealt with life inside the Bakersfield Police Department, portraying the department as an incompetent, backwoods police force. It starred Chris Mulkey, Tony Plana, Ron Eldard and Brian Doyle-Murray.

The Clint Eastwood 1980 film Any Which Way You Can featured scenes in the city of Bakersfield with a car chase scene involving Bakersfield Police officers.

A fourth season episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, entitled "Dead Ringer", featured a secondary murder plot involving a female Bakersfield Police detective as a possible suspect.

In 1999, KB Toys released a line of exclusive diecast metal toy cars based on classic hotrod cars featuring real city police logos and paint schemes. "Cop Rods" by Mattel featured a tail dragger hotrod decorated in the Bakersfield Police department style.

The Zoe Saldana 2011 film Colombiana features the Bakersfield Police Department as the police agency that arrests the protagonist in the beginning section of the film.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Official website
  2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20040621193847/http://www.ci.bakersfield.ca.us/police/Chiefs/1898_1915.htm. Archived from the original on June 21, 2004. Retrieved March 6, 2008. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 1 2 "State Police post awarded to Powers (continued from Page One)". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. 16 Jan 1945. p. 8. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Police chief of 30s, 40s, Robert Powers, 76, dies". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. 3 Dec 1976. p. 14. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Police Chief is war duties head (continued from page nine)". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. 20 Dec 1941. p. 13. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Robert B. Powers". Bakersfield Police Department. 2001. Archived from the original on May 18, 2001. Retrieved Feb 5, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Robert B. Powers; Amelia B. Fry (1971). Law Enforcement, Race Relations: 1930-1960. Earl Warren Oral History Project. Regents of the University of California.
  8. 1 2 Robert B, Power; Pete Martin (August 7, 1948). "Crime was my business (pt 2)". Saturday Evening Post. 221 (6): 38, 73–79. ISSN 0048-9239.
  9. ↑ Rodolfo F. Acu–a; Rodolfo Acu–a (2008). Corridors of Migration: The Odyssey of Mexican Laborers, 1600-1933. University of Arizona Press. pp. 276, 280, 361. ISBN 978-0-8165-2802-8.
  10. ↑ Ed Cray (1997). Chief Justice: A Biography of Earl Warren. Simon and Schuster. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-684-80852-9.
  11. ↑ Jim Newton (2 October 2007). Justice for All: Earl Warren and the Nation He Made. Riverhead Books. pp. 92–94. ISBN 978-1-59448-270-0.
  12. ↑ "Approves Plan; Chief outlines requirements of position". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. 27 Jun 1939. p. 13. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
  13. ↑ Day, Jim (Jul 5, 1965). "Pipefuls by Jim Day". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. p. 13. Retrieved Feb 5, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Mary Holman Dodge". First Women of Kern County. 2015. Retrieved Feb 5, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Chief Powers gets enforcement job". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. 11 Jul 1944. p. 13. Retrieved Feb 3, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Powers gets job in state". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. 16 Jan 1945. p. 1. Retrieved Feb 5, 2015.
  17. ↑ Janet Stevenson (June 1969). "Before the colors fade - the return of the exiles". American Heritage: 22–99 (see pages 98–99). Retrieved Feb 3, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Robert C. Knight". Bakersfield Police Department. 2001. Archived from the original on May 18, 2001. Retrieved Feb 5, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Horace V. Grayson". Bakersfield Police Department. 2001. Archived from the original on May 18, 2001. Retrieved Feb 5, 2015.
  20. ↑ http://www.bakersfieldcity.us/police/Bomb/index.htm
  21. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20040621195442/http://www.ci.bakersfield.ca.us/police/Chiefs/Robert_A_Patterson.htm. Archived from the original on June 21, 2004. Retrieved March 6, 2008. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ↑ http://www.bakersfieldcity.us/police/SRO/sergeants.htm
  23. ↑ The Officer Down Memorial Page
  24. ↑ City Marshal Thomas Jefferson Packard
  25. ↑ Officer Frank Sparks
  26. ↑ Officer Aaron Alexander Trent
  27. ↑ Officer Floyd B.D.W. Cummings
  28. ↑ Officer William Lord Rucker
  29. ↑ Sergeant Patrick Don Vegas
  30. ↑ Officer William Leonard Sikola
  31. ↑
  32. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070406133543/http://www.bakersfieldcity.us/police/opencases/index.html. Archived from the original on April 6, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2008. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. ↑ Bakersfield Police - Crime Statistics
  34. ↑ BPD Insider
  35. ↑ Bakersfield Police Activities League
  36. ↑ Bakersfield Police Officers Association
  37. ↑ Police get bluetooth fingerprint scanners, car-mounted license plate scanners to fight crime
  38. ↑ Jon Swaine; Oliver Laughland; video and photography by Mae Ryan (1 December 2015). "The Counted - The County: the story of America's deadliest police words byand , , Tuesday". The Guardian. Retrieved Dec 2, 2015.

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