BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Downtown Business Association (DBA) held its Empowerment Meeting of 2023 at the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame on Wed, April 5.
"A small town with big city problems" was how Lieutenant Matt Gregory with the Bakersfield Police Department described the City of Bakersfield at the Empowerment Meeting. The goal of the meeting was to hear out the members of DBA and their concerns for police, fire, and trash services.
Community members showed up, asking for help about people breaking their windows and having warming fires or encampments near their business, as well as how to implement locks on their trash cans. Citizens wanted answers from city officials.
“We have the (Bakersfield) Fire Department here and that's to talk about the vacant buildings that have burned [in] Downtown," explained Melanie Farmer, CEO of the Downtown Business Association. "The police, obviously the same situation that we have with the crime [in] Downtown. They'll give an update. Luda Fishman is here from Waste Management on a new trashcan ordinance that the city is putting out, so we want to get that out there for our businesses so we know if we support it or don't support it. This is how we'll get that information”
Police and fire officials responded with the efforts they say they are continuing to do. According to them, their main challenges are working with state laws and service resistance.
“We offered services 292 times last month for people that were experiencing homelessness and of that 238 declined," explained Lieutenant Gregory. "We're seeing an increasing number of folks that are declining services.”
Business owners and city officials were both feeling frustrated, yet understanding that the want for progress is mutual.
One suggestion by the Chair of the DBA was to invest in high-quality security cameras. The DBA will be helping businesses apply for camera grants, hoping that this next step may hold those breaking windows and committing other crimes accountable.
The DBA will be holding an Empowerment Breakfast next quarter. For more events and ways to contact them, visit their website at BakersfieldDBA.com.
