BAKERSFIELD CITY COUNCIL
POST-MEETING AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING
October 7, 2026, 3:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall, 1501 Truxtun Avenue
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES
In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act (California Government Code §§ 54950 et seq.), the City has established these guidelines to promote open, accessible, and orderly public participation in our City Council Meetings. Meeting agendas contain the topics to be discussed at a meeting and are posted 72 hours in advance of a regular meeting, or at least 24 hours in advance for special meetings.
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In-Person Participation
Meetings are held in the Council Chambers at 1501 Truxtun Avenue. To speak, please complete a Speaker Card at the kiosk and submit it to the City Clerk before the meeting begins or before the item is called.
Remote Participation
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Time Limits for Public Comments
Public comments are welcome only during designated portions of the agenda, and are subject to the following time limits:
Non-Agenda Item Public Statements (general City business): 2 minutes per speaker, up to 10 minutes for remote speakers and 10 minutes for in-person speakers (20 minutes total) •
Agenda Item Public Statements (including Consent Calendar, counted as one item): 2 minutes per speaker, up to 10 minutes for remote speakers and 10 minutes for in-person speakers (20 minutes total)
•
Public Hearings: For public hearings, proponents and opponents are each allotted 20 minutes for testimony, plus 10 minutes for rebuttal, to be divided equally between remote and in-person speakers.
•
For maximum impact, submit written comments by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday prior to the hearing for inclusion in the agenda packet. Written comments are also accepted up to and during the hearing.
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Disruptions
Technical or behavioral disruptions will be addressed according to Council policy. The meeting may recess for up to one hour to restore order or service, if required. Disruptive individuals may be removed or have their participation limited, regardless of attendance format.
We value your voice and engagement—it strengthens our community. Thank you for participating in your City government.
1. ROLL CALL
2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Non-Agenda Item Public Statements
b. Agenda Item Public Statements
*c. Written materials provided by Charles Shinn
*1. Written materials provided by Eddy Laine
3. APPOINTMENTS
4. REPORTS
a. Presentation on the City of Bakersfield's Gun Violence Reduction Strategy Staff will provide a presentation on the City’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy. *1. PowerPoint presentation
5. CLOSED SESSION
a. Conference with Legal Counsel - Potential Litigation; Closed Session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2),(e)(1) (one matter) *b. Staff Memorandum
6. CLOSED SESSION ACTION
7. ADJOURNMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 7, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: CONSENT - REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Christian Clegg, City Manager
DATE: September 24, 2026
SUBJECT: Presentation on the City’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy Presentation on the City’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy RECOMMENDATION:
Staff will provide a presentation on the City’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy.
BACKGROUND:
At the request of the City Council, staff will provide an update on the City’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, including progress to date and ongoing efforts to reduce gun violence in Bakersfield.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
ATTACHMENTS:
City of Bakersfield’s
Gun Violence Reduction Strategy
Understanding Prevention, Intervention, & Suppression
City Council Meeting October 7, 2026
One Goal. Different Strategies.
Effective violence reduction requires different strategies for different levels of risk.
Reduce Gun
Violence
Prevention
Reduce future
risk
Intervention
Address
immediate risk
Suppression
Focused
accountability
The Violence Reduction Continuum
Before risk
escalates
PREVENTION
When risk
becomes acute
INTERVENTION
When
enforcement
is necessary
SUPRESSION
What is Prevention?
Prevention is upstream. It builds protective factors before someone reaches the highest levels of violence involvement.
Prevention seeks to reduce future risk before
an individual reaches the highest levels of violence
involvement.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
MENTORING
EDUCATION/LITERACY
FAMILY SUPPORTS
POSITIVE ADULT RELATIONSHIPS
RECREATION
SOCIAL- EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EMPLOYMENT/OPPORTUNITY
Who Does Prevention Reach?
Children Youth Families Schools Neighborhoods Community Broad Reach/Lower Individual Risk
Prevention supports the broader community by building protective factors and reducing risk over time.
Prevention Takes Time
Many prevention strategies are designed to produce benefits over a longer period, making immediate changes in shootings and homicides more difficult to attribute to a single prevention investment Today
Program
Participation
Youth and families
engage in program &
services
Near term
Increased Protective
Factors
Stronger skills, support
systems, and positive
relationships
Over Time
Behavior Change
Improved decisionmaking and reduce risk
behaviors
Longer-Term
Population-level
Outcomes
Safer Communities &
reductions in violence
over time
What is Intervention?
Intervention focuses intensive resources on Very High-Risk Individual (VHRIs) who are already at high or imminent risk of violence, with the goal of stopping the next shooting and supporting long-term stability.
VERY HIGH-RISK
INDIVIDUAL (VHRI)
OUTREACH &
ENGAGEMENT
✓
SAFETY & VIOLENCE
INTERRUPTION
INTENSIVE CASE
MANAGEMENT (ICM) LONG-TERM STABILITY
VERY HIGH-RISK
INDIVIDUAL (VHRI)
OUTREACH &
ENGAGEMENT
SAFETY & VIOLENCE
INTERRUPTION
INTENSIVE CASE
MANAGEMENT
(ICM)
LONG-TERM
STABILITY
Intervention Support Services
Investing in people at highest risk today prevents future victims tomorrow.
Participant
Support
Services
Support services address barriers and help participants meet their goals.
What is Suppression?
Suppression uses focused law-enforcement strategies to address individuals, groups, and behaviors associated with serious violence.
Focused
Enforcement
Target repeats
offenders, networks
and hotspots
Investigations
Gather and act on
intelligence to
disrupt violence
Strategic LawEnforcement
Response
Coordinate with
partners to address
emerging threats
Strategic LawEnforcement
Response
Coordinate with
partners to address
emerging threats
Accountability
Hold individuals
accountable for
continued violence.
Prevention vs. Intervention
PREVENTION INTERVENTION
Broad reach Narrow reach (VHRIs)
Before risk escalates When risk is acute
Builds protective factors Focused, intensive support
Longer-term impact Immediate and long-term
impact
Benefits the entire community Prevents the next shooting
Why Focus Our Resources on Intervention?
Limited resources. Greatest opportunity. Lives at immediate risk.
LIMITED
CITY RESOURCES
FOCUS
WHERE WE CAN
WHERE THE RISK OF
GUN VIOLENCE
IS HIGHEST
BROAD POPULATION
Many benefit from
prevention.
HIGHER RISK
Individuals with
multiple risk factors.
VERY HIGH-RISK
INDIVIDUALS (VHRIs)
Intervention, intensive
support.
Understanding Bakersfield’s Violence Problem
Our strategy begins with data.
201 TOTAL INCIDENTS
70 HOMICIDES
131 NONFATAL SHOOTINGS
We obtained a comprehensive Problem
Analysis of all fatal and nonfatal
shootings in Bakersfield to identify who
is most affected, where violence is
occurring, and the key risk factors.
TIMEFRAME:
July 2022 – December 2024
Violence is Highly Concentrated
A small number of groups, locations, and individuals are driving a large share of gun violence. 14%
OF CITY LAND AREA
ACCOUNTS FOR
67%
OF HOMICIDES &
SHOOTINGS
70%+
OF SHOOTING
SUSPECTS HAD
PRIOR JUSTICE
SYSTEM CONTACT
Who is Most Impacted?
The Problem Analysis identified important demographic patterns among victims and suspects of gun violence.
Homicides
% of victims/suspects
64%
ages 25-44
AGE
Nonfatal Shootings
% of victims/suspects
60%
ages 18-34
RACE
Homicides
% of victims/suspects
47%
Hispanic
24%
Black
Nonfatal Shootings
% of victims/suspects
44%
Hispanic
31%
Black
Age & race describe patterns in the data; they do not independently determine VHRI eligibility.
Who do we work with?
OVIP’s grant funded
program (Cohort 5)
focuses on
individuals who are
at very high, or
imminent risk of
gun violence based
on established
criteria.
CRITERION 1 CRITERION 2 CRITERION 3
Victim or Suspect
of a recent shooting,
regardless of age.
Socially connected
to a shooting victim
or suspect,
regardless of age.
Ages 18-35, gang
Association, and
multiple arrests.
How Our Strategy Works
Bakersfield’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy Logic Model Bakersfield PD
OVIP/Community-Based Organizations
Bakersfield’s Intervention Model
From high-risk to hope. A coordinated, people-centered approach.
VHRI
IDENTIFICATION
OUTREACH &
ENGAGEMENT
SAFETY &
VIOLENCE
INTERRUPTION
INTENSIVE
CASE
MANAGEMENT
LONG-TERM
STABILITY
Relentless Outreach | Individualized Support | Safer Communities
Relentless
Outreach &
Engagement
Engagement is not a single contact. It is consistent, relationship-based outreach to build trust, reduce immediate risk, and connect individuals to services.
VHRI
Build Trust
Listen &
Understand
Address
Immediate
Needs
Provide
Options
Connect to
Case
Manager
Frequent
Contact
From Crisis to Stability
Once a VHRI is engaged, services are tailored to address the specific barriers contributing to instability a continued violence risk.
Immediate
Safety Stabilization Individual
Goals
Long-Term
Stability
EXAMPLES OF SUPPORT SERVICES
Housing /
Relocation
Employment /
Education Transportation ♥
Behavioral
Health
Identification /
Documentation
Certifications /
Job Training
Basic Needs
(Clothing, etc.)
Life Coaching /
Mentorship
A Coordinated Public-Safety Strategy
BPD
Enforcement &
Accountability
OVIP
Strategy &
Coordination
CBOs
Outreach & Support
Services
Focused Enforcement
Investigations
Coordinate w/agencies
Disrupt violent networks
Hold individuals
accountable
Identify & prioritize VHRIs
Coordinate w/partners
Support outreach & safety
Provide participant support
Track data & outcomes
Identify community
resources
Credible-messenger
outreach
Build relationships
Provide intensive case
management
Connect individuals to
resources
Support long-term stability
DIFFERENT ROLES. ONE PUBLIC SAFETY OBJECTIVE
What Makes This Strategy Focused?
A focused, data-driven approach.
Data-Driven
Built on a
comprehensive
analysis of local gun
violence data to
identify who is most at
risk, where violence is
occurring, and key risk
factors.
Narrowly
Focused
Resources are
concentrated on
individuals at
highest risk of
being a victim or
suspect of gun
violence.
Coordinated
Coordination
across
enforcement,
intervention, and
support to
address
immediate risk.
PerformanceDriven
Progress is
measured through
clear data, regular
review, and
accountability to
ensure the strategy
is implemented as
intended.
How We Measure the Work?
Accountability. Transparency. Results.
IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES
(Program Performance) COMMUNITY OUTCOMES
(Public-Safety Impact)
VHRI referrals received
Outreach and engagement attempts
Participants engaged in services
ICM participation and milestones
Support services provided
Case reviews and Coordination meetings
Trend in nonfatal shootings
Trend in homicides
Repeat victimization/recidivism
Increased stability among participants
Community safety and perceptions
of safety
Key Findings: Impact
-74%
Between 2021 and
2024, Bakersfield saw
a 74% reduction in
both fatal and
nonfatal shootings.
-61%
Homicide rates in 2024
dropped 61% from 2021
levels and were 33%
lower than in 2019,
outperforming peer cities
selected for preliminary
comparison.
Mid-2026
These trends have
continued through
mid year 2026; on
pace for lowest level
in city history.
Preliminary data suggests that Bakersfield’s implementation of the GVRS strategy has contributed to meaningful reductions in gun violence.
Homicides
Total Annual vs YTD Month: August
60 39
26 26
33 15
44 31
16 18
23 10
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Total for the Year YTD from August
Projection:
55% Reduction
Non-Fatal Shootings
Total Annual vs YTD Month: August
109
73 62
44 35 38
73 50
41 31
23 25
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Total for the Year YTD from August Projection:
9% Increase
Sustaining
Progress Requires
Sustained Focus
Ongoing analysis, adaption,
and commitment.
IDENTIFY
Monitor
data &
emerging
trends
ENGAGE
Connect &
build trust
STABILIZE
Provide
support &
address
immediate risk
MONITOR
Track
Progress &
outcomes
ADJUST
Refine
strategies
based on
results A SAFER
BAKERSFIELD
CONTINOUS IMPROVEMENT. LASTING IMPACT
The City has Invested in Prevention
City staff researched youth violence prevention approaches and identified strategies focused on positive youth development and strong youth-adult relationships.
Intervention is Our Focus.
Prevention Still Matters.
All three play a role in a safer Bakersfield.
PREVENTION INTERVENTION SUPPRESSION
Reduce future risk
(broad reach) OVIP’s focused role
(highest risk)
BPD’s focused
enforcement
(accountability)
THANK YOU