Bakersfield Police Department
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The Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) is the police department 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 as of 2004 is William Rector. The department protects the city, split between two areas: West area and East area with stations in each area aside from the main department headquarters. The department administration is made up of the chief of department, one assistant chief, 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 department shooting range is located on Truxtun Ave. with the K-9 training school next door to the range.
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[edit] 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"[2]
[edit] 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.[3]
On July 3, 1941, The Bakersfield Police Department accepted its first female officer with the hiring of Mary Holman Dodge. In January 1953, the department established a female reserve component to assist with staff duties and material operations.[4]
In June 1988, the department started its K-9 unit, consisting of five officers and 5 working dogs.[5] On July 8, 2003, the Bakersfield Police Department started a School Resource Officer program by assigning a small detail to local city elementary schools.[6]
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.[7]
[edit] Assignments
[edit] Sworn assignments
- Administration
- Animal Control
- Patrol Service Technician
- Parking Enforcement
- Public Relations Officer
- School Resource Officer
- Reserve Unit
- Training
- Patrol
- Traffic
- Investigations
- Internal Affairs
- GHOST Unit (anti-graffiti)
- Vice
- Narcotics
- Special Enforcement Unit (anti-gang)
- K-9 Unit
- Civil Disturbance Team
- Bomb Squad
- SWAT
[edit] Non-sworn assignments
- Crime Analysis Unit
- Crime Lab
- Crime Prevention Office
- Communication Center
- Police Activities League
- Explorer Post
[edit] Vehicles and Equipment
The Bakersfield Police Department employs the latest in uniforms, equipment and vehicles.[8]
[edit] Uniforms and equipment
The BPD basic patrol uniform is compromised of 5.11 Tactical B Class uniform in midnight navy blue. Traffic officers wear a similar uniform, the only difference being the thicker motorcycle pants and long black riding boots. Patrol officer, during spring/summer seasons are authorized the wear of 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. All officers in uniform or working field assignments wear Second Chance Level II body armor.
Standard uniform equipment consists of Bianchi International AccuMold Elite duty gear with a Safariland Model 6285 Belt Drop, Level II Retention holster, First Defense MK-4 Large Duty Size pepper spray, Taser International X-26 taser, ASP, Inc. 21 inch expandable baton or 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 Bomb Squad wears black Nomex battle dress uniforms with subdued gray 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 black Nomex two piece battle dress uniforms with subdued gray tactical department patches, PROTECH Cover 6 Plus Level III-A modular body armor and 6004 tactical holsters. Black MICH ballistic helmets are worn during operations.
[edit] Weapons
All police officers of the Bakersfield Police Department are issued a department standard sidearm. The current issue weapon is the GLOCK model 22 .40 S&W 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 SWAT team uses the Colt model M-4 5.56 mm carbine with Aimpoint sights with one weapon issued with an M203 40 mm grenade launcher for less-lethal ordinance, Benelli model M-1 Tactical Entry 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun with ghost ring sights and Surefire handle mounted tactical lights, and Remington model 870 12-gauge pump shotgun for entry\less-lethal ordinance. SWAT snipers use customized Remington model 700 Police 7.62 mm bolt action rifles with Leupold scopes.
[edit] 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 LED Lightbars. All BPD cruisers are equipped with Microsoft Windows based mobile data terminals and Motorola console communication radios.
The BPD Traffic unit operates Harley Davidson Electra Glide-Police motorcycles in standard black and white configuration with Motorola communication radios. They also operate standard patrol cruisers with dash mounted radar for use during inclement weather.
The BPD Investigations Bureau uses Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors in civilian color schemes equipped with Microsoft Windows based mobile data terminals, Motorola communication radios and dash mounted emergency lights, as well as numerous civilian vehicles for clandestine operations.
The BPD Special Operations Unit operate Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors in the standard black and white configuration with CODE 360 light bars. They are equipped with Microsoft Windows based mobile data terminals and Motorola console communication radios as well as dash mounted emergency lights.
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 Expedition for commercial vehicle operations, two Suzuki and two BMW dirt bikes for off-road and river patrol use, Ford and Chevrolet Econoline and Spartan vans for crime scene, crime prevention, prisoner transport use, one GMC C-Series Heavy Duty armored car for use by the Bomb Squad, one EVI mobile command post for use in emergency operations, one specialized ladder van truck for use by the BPD SWAT team, and one Peacekeeper armored rescue vehicle for use in emergency recovery and SWAT operations. All vehicles are adorned with the Bakersfield Police name and logo.
[edit] Fallen Officers
Since the establishment of the Bakersfield Police Department, seven officers have given their lives in service to the City of Bakersfield.[1]
City Marshal Thomas Jefferson Packard- Monday, April 20, 1903[9]
Officer Frank Sparks- Saturday, June 16, 1917[10]
Officer Aaron Alexander Trent- Wednesday, August 22, 1917[11]
Officer Floyd B.D.W. Cummings- Monday, January 7, 1952[12]
Officer William Lord Rucker- Sunday, July 20, 1952[13]
Sergeant Patrick Don Vegas- Friday, June 20, 1980[14]
Officer William Leonard Sikola- Sunday, July 17, 1983[15]
[edit] Multimedia
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.[16] The sight was fully operational as of March 12, 2008.
[edit] Controversy
The Bakersfield Police Department has been criticized over the years as being a department that relies on heavy handed tactics and over use of force when dealing with crime. A number of complaints by criminals, suspects, families of people involved in investigations by the BPD as well as witnesses have surfaced in recent years. Complaints of excessive force, racial profiling, harassment and delays in response for calls for service have been levied against the department.
In March of 2001, Tony Eddington and Robert Johnson were stopped in the city of Bakersfield for a traffic violation. The two men, who are black, say they were ordered to strip from their clothing inorder to be searched on the roadside. The men contend the search was racially motivated. The two men 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.[17]
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 of 2003. The probe would seek information and investigate some 47 complaints against the BPD for use of force and racial profiling. In January of 2008, the United States Department of Justice cleared the Bakersfield Police Department of any wrong doing stemming from the complaints. The Bakersfield Police Department is an aggressive department which utilizes fair and lawful tactics when faced with situations. [18]
[edit] Policy Changes
Because of the Department of Justice investigation and stemming from other citizen complaints, The BPD has made several changes to its policy and procedures. Key policy changes have included:
- Creation of a use-of-force manual and reporting system
All rules on use of force for officers have now been compiled into a manual. The reporting system is now more defined. For example, when an officer uses force at a scene, the sergeant makes a report that is put into a system.
- Deployment and use of chemical agents
The department added a written policy dictating that pepper spray may only be used closer than three feet from the subject under extreme circumstances. And it added a written policy on decontaminating someone after they get pepper-sprayed.
- Shooting at moving vehicles
Officers should not put themselves in the path of a moving vehicle that creates the necessity to shoot at a vehicle.
- Internal Affairs investigative protocols
The internal affairs section and detective division investigate officer-involved shootings. One department used to investigate officer-involved shootings.
- Canine deployment language and reporting
An officer with a K-9 must warn a suspect before releasing the dog.
[edit] 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, and Brian Doyle-Murray.
The Clint Eastwood movie Any Which Way You Can featured scenes in the city of Bakersfield with a hilarious 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.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ the Officer Down Memorial Page http://www.odmp.org/agency/1365-fullerton-police-department-california
