BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — In Bakersfield, while instances of gun violence and homicides have decreased in recent years, according to police, cases of domestic violence remain on the incline. Around the holidays, those numbers increase even more.
- According to the Open Door Network, for the last three years, their domestic violence case load has seen a spike during the holiday season.
- From 2022 to 2023, Bakersfield police saw a 15% increase in domestic violence cases. In that same year, the department saw a 29% decrease in homicide and a 59% reduction in gang-related shootings.
In Bakersfield, while instances of gun violence and homicides have decreased in recent years, according to police, cases of domestic violence remain on the incline. Around the holidays, those numbers increase even more.
"You'll start to slowly see it going November, December, up until probably end of January," said Eileen Parra, director of client services at Open Door Network.
Parra sees every instance of violence and abuse in a relationship, but around this time of year, she sees it even more.
"It's even spiking in February," she said.
According to the Open Door Network, for the last three years, their domestic violence case load has seen a spike during the holiday season. From December 2022 to January 2023, their number of clients for domestic violence increased 29%. From December 2023 to January 2024, that number increased by 14%. In both instances, they also saw drastic increases in new clients served, with a 26% increase of new domestic violence clients in January 2023 and a 28% increase of new domestic violence clients in January of this year.
Parra said often, they see this spike influenced by the stress that comes with the holidays, but usually the stress is only promoting violence that is already within the relationship. That's why even though they see a spike in domestic violence numbers around the holidays, those numbers continue to increase year-round.
"With law enforcement, we are working with them a lot more because they are seeing that," Parra said.
Bakersfield Police Assistant Chief Brent Stratton told me in terms of homicides, they've seen numbers decrease when it comes to gang violence and gun violence, and they want to bring those numbers down even more.
"We are really looking at that," said he said. "If we're doing well here, now, now, where else can we see these decreases? And I would say that domestic violence is the area, the next biggest area for us to focus on."
From 2022 to 2023, Bakersfield police saw a 15% increase in domestic violence cases. In that same year, the department saw a 29% decrease in homicide and a 59% reduction in gang-related shootings. Stratton told me when it comes to addressing domestic violence, he's still in the hypothesis stage of that, but bringing down those numbers will be an integral part of their overall public safety plan for reducing homicide numbers.
"What I believe that by the time domestic violence homicide occurs, that there's probably been seven, eight, 10, 12 instances of domestic violence that have led to the point where is now picking up a gun and murdering somebody that they had an intimate relationship with," Stratton said.
That's why the department and the Open Door Network are working together to figure out the best ways to make changes, something Parra said will take a lot of work and focus.
"It's now taking the focus there, and we do want to bring back our domestic abuse response team. The challenges that we're facing is it's so common in Kern County, the amount of calls that the City and the County receive could be too much just for one advocate to respond and attend to that call," Parra said.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence you can call the Open Door Network's 24-hour hotline at 327-1091.
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