BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Bakersfield Police Department is investigating false emergency reports that triggered lockdowns at two local colleges on consecutive days this week, requiring significant resources and disrupting operations.
Chief Greg Terry said nearly 12 officers responded to each campus lockdown, spending several hours assisting administration and ensuring safety at both California State University, Bakersfield, and Bakersfield College.
"These two false reports of emergencies are extremely resource-intensive and very disruptive to our operations," Terry said.
The Cal State Bakersfield police department is investigating the threat to their campus, while the Bakersfield police are investigating the report received by Bakersfield College. Terry said the departments will work closely together because some of the language used in both threats was very similar.
"It is a crime to falsely report an emergency and cause that kind of response," Terry said. "If you're actually part of the threat, say that you're going to come commit a crime, then it's actually a felony."
Terry noted that copycat incidents are common in these situations, sometimes spreading across the country as news of events travels.
Department faces staffing challenges
The false emergency responses highlight ongoing staffing challenges within the department. Terry said the department currently has about 30 vacancies across various officer positions, including police officers, detectives, sergeants, and senior officers.
The department has been in a recruiting process for the past couple of months, with the next academy class scheduled to begin in early April with approximately 50 trainees.
Terry explained that detective vacancies particularly impact the department's ability to investigate crimes after emergencies are resolved. While the department prioritizes staffing for serious crimes like murder, shootings, and sexual assault, some lower-level quality-of-life crimes may not receive full investigation due to staffing constraints.
"Where the public feels the impact is some of the lower-level quality of life, more nuisance-type crimes that are really disruptive," Terry said. "Our capacity to investigate many of those crimes goes away as we prioritize staffing."
Academy training and leadership transition
New academy trainees are hired as full-time employees and receive all startup equipment, boots, clothing and flashlights at no cost. They are paid throughout the academy training process.
The search for Terry's replacement has narrowed to two internal candidates, both assistant chiefs who have been with the department for more than 20 years and have lived in Bakersfield their entire lives.
"They're wonderful men," Terry said. "They're very well qualified, and we'll be in good hands."
Terry acknowledged the value of both outside perspectives and internal consistency in police leadership, noting that either selection would serve the department well.
Ongoing investigations
The department continues investigating a deadly crash involving juveniles on Highway 178, where a 14-year-old driver was recently identified. The vehicle was stolen from Valley Plaza, and the incident ended in a fatality after a pursuit.
Terry said the department is conducting a critical incident investigation, examining both the crime and whether officers followed proper policies during the pursuit. He noted that supervisors had canceled the pursuit just before the crash occurred due to speeds and danger to public safety.
"Pursuits occur quite frequently and they're frequently canceled," Terry said. "You really are balancing the crime versus what is actually going on and the threat to public safety."
Training exercises
The department recently conducted rappelling training with the fire department, simulating scenarios where officers might need to respond to vehicles going off bluffs and initiate rescues.
"We're always working hard to make sure that we're ready to be there when the community needs us," Terry said.
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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