Bakersfield has long struggled with high rates of gun violence, at times reporting more homicides per capita than any other jurisdiction in California. But after years of targeted efforts by local law enforcement and city officials, the tide may be turning.
- Video shows a breakdown of ShotSpotter data going back to 2018 and the effort made by law enforcement and city officials to reduce gun violence.
- This is the first in a series of stories as Senior Reporter Veronica Morley takes a deeper look into gun violence in our community, it’s impacts on youth, and what officials are doing to try and address the problem.
Bakersfield has long struggled with high rates of gun violence, at times reporting more homicides per capita than any other jurisdiction in California. But after years of targeted efforts by local law enforcement and city officials, the tide may be turning.
From 2021 to 2024, the city reported a 57% drop in homicides and a 60% decline in non-injury shootings, according to the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant Police Chief Brent Stratton attributed the improvement to a focused strategy aimed at the small segment of the population driving the majority of the violence.
“Oftentimes it’s less than one-tenth of one percent of the population that can account for as much as 50 to 60% of the gun violence that goes on in a community,” Stratton said…