History
The Bakersfield Police Department traces its origin to the incorporation of the City of Bakersfield in 1898. On January 13, 1898 the Bakersfield City council instituted the Bakersfield City Marshal's Office with Thomas A. Baker as its first Marshal. The police department was itself incorporated on February 27, 1915 with Jacob Horace Dupes as Chief of police.
On July 3, 1941, The Bakersfield Police Department accepted its first female officer with the hiring of Mary Holman Dodge. In January 1953, the department established a female reserve component to assist with staff duties and material operations. In 1968, the department accepted its first African-American into its ranks by the hiring of Irma Carson.
In August 1973, the department established the Bomb Squad unit with one operator in order to deal with the emerging threat of explosive ordnance in the city. Today, the squad consists of five bomb detective technicians and two robots.
In June 1988, the department started its K-9 unit, consisting of five officers and 5 working dogs. On February 8, 1994, the Bakersfield Police Activities League was established for at risk youth in the city. In June 1999, the department made city history with the promotion of Eric L. Mattlock as the first African-American chief of police for Bakersfield. On July 8, 2003, the Bakersfield Police Department started a School Resource Officer program by assigning a small detail to local city elementary schools.
In July 2003, the BPD investigated one of Bakersfield's most heinous and high profile crimes; The Harper family murders. The killing of two adults and three children in their own home sparked international media coverage and an investigation that would cross the entire United States. The BPD was able to solve the case and make an arrest of one of the victims husband, Vincent Brothers. On May 15, 2007, Brothers was convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree. The conviction was due to the efforts of the investigations bureau of the Bakersfield Police Department.
In April 2010, the BPD promoted its first female in the departments history to the rank of Captain with the promotion of Hajir Nuridin.
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