Following a report from the southern California ACLU calling Bakersfield Police practices “discriminatory and harmful”, BPD have responded with statement calling “misinformation” in the report “irresponsible”.The statement is in full below:

The Bakersfield Police Department is in the process of reviewing a document released by the ACLU. This document was issued without engaging our organization or providing us with any opportunity to review, fact-check or provide comment or clarification on their conclusions.

The department has serious concerns regarding the advocacy group’s latest use of out-of-context statistics which appear to be a coordinated attempt to generate publicity. The misinformation contained in the document is irresponsible and without regard for the men and women who put their lives at risk every day to protect the community. The allegations are not credible and do not in any way represent a legitimate review of the Bakersfield Police Department.

As a professional law enforcement organization we are committed to protecting our community and professionally serving all of our residents with respect, compassion, and accountability. We will continue to work with our community to transparently provide accurate information and address concerns. We will not let this latest attack distract us from our mission.