Bakersfield Police Chief Lyle Martin sat down with 23ABC on Wednesday to talk about his first 12 months leading the department.
23ABC is taking a look back at the year in the eyes of Chief Martin. With one of the biggest gang sweeps in Kern County history, and a break in the murder of five-year-old Kason Guyton, Martin has had a busy year.
In 2017, there was a total of 42 homicides, including Guyton's murder in February. A break in that case is what brought the end of this year to a close.
It has been a long year for Chief Martin; he stepped into his new role as chief last December with a passion he says is for the community.
"What I hold dear to my heart is the children of this community and watching them grow," Chief Martin said.
During the course of the year, he says there have been ups and downs for the department.
