BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield Police Chief Brent Stratton said the department increased its presence this 4th of July, deploying extra officers for DUI enforcement, patrol response, and fire suppression support — and the results showed fewer fires compared to last year.
Stratton said BPD issued at least 50 citations on the evening of July 4 alone, with more expected to arrive by mail as the Kern County Fire Department continues compiling data from the night.
"We really wanted to support the fire department in trying to improve public safety that we had here within our community," Stratton said. "And so we kind of looked at things from a three-pronged approach."
That approach included dedicated DUI enforcement units, additional patrol officers for peace disturbance response, and coordination with the Bakersfield Fire Department, Kern County Fire Department, and the Kern County Sheriff's Office.
In the days leading up to the holiday, BPD detectives also conducted undercover operations targeting illegal fireworks sales. Working alongside arson investigators from the fire department, detectives seized approximately 20 tons of illegal fireworks. Some seizures came during narcotics investigations at marijuana dispensaries, where detectives found illegal street-level drug sales alongside stockpiles of illegal fireworks.
Stratton said he and the fire chief spoke Monday and confirmed that Bakersfield saw fewer fires in 2026 than in 2025.
"We'll call that a win," Stratton said. "But I definitely think there's some room for some improvement, and just making sure that we can keep the fourth safe."
He added there were no DUI-related fatalities and no major peace disturbances resulting in deaths within the city.
Stratton also addressed a video that circulated showing drivers pulled off along the West Side Parkway to watch the River Walk fireworks show.
"That's not the intent for people to be there along the side of the parkway," Stratton said. "I mean, that's really something that could create some problems, could create a traffic accident. I understand everybody wants to see the show, but maybe there's a better way that we could do that instead of being parked on the side of the."
Flock cameras help track Oleander shooting suspect to Las Vegas
Stratton also discussed a targeted shooting in Bakersfield's Oleander neighborhood and how the department used flock camera technology to help locate and arrest the suspect in Las Vegas.
After officers responded to the shooting and gathered information from the victim and witnesses, investigators used license plate reader cameras in the area to track the suspect's movements. That data indicated the suspect was heading toward Las Vegas, prompting BPD to coordinate with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department for the apprehension.
Detectives then traveled to Las Vegas and brought the suspect back to Bakersfield, where he faces charges for attempted murder. Stratton said the victim is still alive.
"At this point, still fighting, and so we're hopeful that we get good news and that they're able to pull through," Stratton said.
Stratton confirmed the shooting was targeted, saying the suspect and victim knew each other and the incident stemmed from a prior dispute.
The case highlighted what Stratton described as an evolution in how BPD uses its license plate reader technology, which the department has had for 10 to 12 years.
"Mostly leveraged and utilized for auto theft and auto theft recovery, and then being able to leverage them is kind of the next evolution of it — being able to leverage that license plate reading technology as it relates to crime fighting," Stratton said.
He said the goal is to move from using the technology to reconstruct cases after the fact to using it to impact crime in real time.
Stratton also addressed privacy concerns surrounding flock cameras, saying the data is retained for only 30 days before being deleted. He said the system does not use facial recognition, does not coordinate with federal agencies, and does not share data outside California.
"We want to make sure that we're keeping track of the privacy component to it," Stratton said.
DUI enforcement continues through the summer months
On the topic of DUI enforcement, Stratton referenced a recent fatal crash at California Avenue and Chester Lane, where a driver was arrested and is now moving through the court process.
He said DUI numbers in Bakersfield are currently tracking at normal levels for this time of year — not up, not down — but cautioned that summer months typically bring an increase.
BPD's strategy includes deploying officers dedicated solely to DUI enforcement, separate from those responding to other calls for service, and using data to identify where and when DUI collisions are most likely to occur.
"Looking at our data to find out where are we having DUI collisions, where are we making these enforcements, what days of the week is it happening, what times are it generally happening, and then really trying to be strategic about how we can have extra cars that are out there working on DUI enforcement to prevent these collisions from occurring in the first place," Stratton said.
He called the Chester Lane crash "a senseless tragedy" and said the department's thoughts are with the victims' families.
In addition to DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols, Stratton said education remains a key part of the department's approach.
"People can still have a good time and find a different way to be able to celebrate," Stratton said. "You utilize some rideshare services, designated drivers, whatever the case may be. It's not that much extra to be able to make sure that you're not taking somebody else's life or changing yours for the rest of your life as well."
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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