BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A multi-agency operation ended with 17 encampments and four illegal dumping sites being found along the Kern River, removing about 13 tons of trash and debris and arresting three people. Outreach was also offered to 19 people experiencing homelessness.
The Bakersfield Police Department said that, in response to community concerns regarding illegal camping, accumulated trash, and other quality-of-life issues along the Kern River, the department’s Impact Unit, in collaboration with several city agencies and community partners, conducted a coordinated enforcement, outreach, and cleanup operation on October 21, 2026.
Police said the operation focused on the Kern River corridor between Calloway Drive and Highway 99, where the City had received numerous complaints over the preceding month…