BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry sits down to discuss local public safety issues ahead of his retirement at the end of April.
Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry, in one of his final monthly studio appearances before his retirement at the end of April, discussed a range of public safety topics, including a recent triple shooting, ongoing issues at the Casa Loma swap meet, a viral TikTok video involving old 911 dispatch audio, a joint street racing operation, and an upcoming motor competition.
Triple shooting linked to narcotics transaction
Terry addressed a recent triple shooting in which three separate shootings occurred within approximately 20 minutes at three different locations, resulting in one homicide and two shooting victims.
"It involved a homicide and two shooting victims, and we did have 3 shootings within about 20 minutes at 3 different locations," Terry said. "It is an unusual event, thankfully."
Terry said the investigation indicates all three incidents were connected to a single narcotics transaction, and that everyone who was injured was involved in that initial deal.
"It just began to spread as whatever occurred occurred," Terry said. "Thankfully, it wasn't a rolling gun battle or anything like that, and everyone involved or everyone injured by it was specifically involved in that initial deal."
Terry also addressed the challenge social media poses when incidents like this occur, noting that misinformation — and even accurate information — can spread faster than officers can respond.
"The information certainly spreads much more rapidly than it used to," Terry said. "And the misinformation or even real information can create a lot of fear, and that causes people to begin to react."
One of the victims was found near Golden Valley High School.
Casa Loma swap meet citations
Terry provided an update on ongoing enforcement efforts at the Casa Loma swap meet, which he described as a large event situated on the city-county line.
"We're certainly not trying to stand in the way of people making a living or any of those kinds of things, but the size of this and the location specifically create tremendous traffic hazards," Terry said. "It imposes on people's private property, there are trespassing violations that have occurred, and a large amount of trash when this is over as well."
Terry said the department has received complaints from residents, and that both the city council and the Kern County Board of Supervisors have as well. He said the department's Community Vitality Unit has taken the lead on the issue and was out at the location approximately 2 weeks ago, where the number of vendors and citations had decreased.
"We've really been focused on education first and enforcement second," Terry said. "It works best when we're able to work together and educate people on what the issues are. If people persist in violating the law, then we're going to take enforcement action."
Terry said the city plans to reach out specifically to street vendors to help them come into compliance with city and county regulations and to inform them of where and how they can legally operate.
Viral TikTok video of 911 dispatch audio
Terry addressed a 911 dispatch video that went viral on TikTok, saying the department had to conduct significant research to determine whether the audio was even from the Bakersfield Police Department.
"Based on the information that was there, we weren't sure whether it was the Bakersfield Police Department, whether it was some other agency," Terry said. "There are 11 or 12 other cities in proximity to us, and a lot of times it's generally referred to as Bakersfield."
After the investigation, the department determined the audio was approximately 5 years old.
"Certainly in the context of what was initially said, we were thinking, did this happen yesterday, today, or when?" Terry said. "So yeah, we were a little surprised that it had occurred 5 years earlier."
Terry said the department has staff in its public affairs office dedicated to monitoring social media, with a focus on education and community communication.
"Our approach has been a partnership," Terry said. "We talk about it being a shared responsibility and a lot of that really is about communication, so we've tried to improve the frequency, the content, the consistency, the way that we communicate with the community."
Joint street racing operation
Terry discussed a recent joint street racing operation conducted with the California Highway Patrol, which resulted in multiple arrests, citations, and vehicle impounds. The operation came shortly after a street takeover event involving hundreds of vehicles.
"You don't really have to drive too far on the weekend nights across our city to find people driving this way," Terry said. "That is so dangerous and so unnecessary."
Terry said the department will continue to conduct similar operations periodically and encouraged the public to report street racing activity when it occurs. He noted that takeover events can involve hundreds of vehicles at a time, which requires the department to marshal significant resources before responding.
Motor competition this Saturday
Terry encouraged the public to attend the department's upcoming motor competition this Saturday, highlighting the skill of the motorcycle officers who participate.
"I am so amazed at the skills that these officers have," Terry said. "I hope the public comes out, but I'm so appreciative of how much time they invest into this skill, and it is an amazing skill that they've developed in service to the community."
Terry noted that the motor unit had dwindled to just 1 or 2 officers approximately 5 to 6 years ago and has since grown back to 19, allowing the department to provide speed enforcement and a variety of other services to the community.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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