Search Bakersfield Police Records
Bakersfield police records are kept by the Bakersfield Police Department. The city is in Kern County and has over 417,000 people. Police reports include arrest logs, crime files, and traffic crash data. You can get copies under the California Public Records Act. The records unit responds within ten days of your request. Not all files can be released. Active investigations stay private until a case closes. Victims and involved parties have more access than the general public in Bakersfield.
Bakersfield Quick Facts
Bakersfield Police Department
The Bakersfield Police Department handles all law enforcement in the city. The records section takes requests for police reports from the public. You can ask for incident reports, arrest info, and crash files. Contact the department to start a request. Give them the date, names, and case number if you have it. They will search for the report and tell you if it can be released in Bakersfield.
To request police records in Bakersfield, call the department or submit a written request. Include as much detail as you can. The more info you give, the faster they can find your report. If you were a victim or party in the case, say so. This helps them know if you qualify for access under California law. The department reviews each request to decide what can be released in Bakersfield.
Fees for police records in Bakersfield depend on the type of report and how many pages you need. The department will tell you the cost when your report is ready. Some records may be free if you were a victim of certain crimes. Domestic violence victims do not pay under California law. Call ahead to ask about fees before you submit your request in Bakersfield.
Kern County Sheriff Records
Bakersfield is in Kern County. The county sheriff handles areas outside city limits and some contract cities. Bakersfield has its own police, so city records come from the police department. If you need records from the Kern County Sheriff, contact them at (661) 391-7624 for arrest records or (661) 391-7431 for crime reports. Their office is at 1350 Norris Road in Bakersfield.
The sheriff uses the JustFOIA system for online records requests. This is a public portal at kerncountysheriffca.justfoia.com. You can submit a request and track it online. The sheriff charges different fees than the city police. Clearance letters cost $5 and booking photos cost $5. If you are not sure which agency handled your case, call the Bakersfield Police Department first in Kern County.
Government Code Section 7923.610 requires the sheriff to make arrest information available to the public in Kern County. This includes booking logs and basic arrest data. Full arrest reports are not usually released to the general public. Victims and involved parties have more access than others. The sheriff responds within ten days to records requests under state law in Bakersfield.
For more on county-level records, see the Kern County page. That page has details on the sheriff's records section, jail booking logs, and other resources. It also covers cities in Kern County that contract with the sheriff for police services. Bakersfield does not contract with the sheriff, so all Bakersfield city police records come from the police department.
Types of Police Records
Incident reports show what happened when police respond to a call in Bakersfield. An officer writes the report after investigating. The report has facts, names, and what action was taken. You can get a copy if you were a victim or involved party. Suspects and witnesses have less access. The department reviews each request to see if the file can be released under California law in Bakersfield.
Arrest records list people booked into jail by Bakersfield police. These show the name, date, charges, and bail amount. Some of this info is public. Kern County posts booking logs online that you can search by name or date. An arrest does not mean a conviction. Charges may be dropped or reduced later. Full arrest reports are usually not released to suspects in Bakersfield.
Traffic collision reports document crashes that police respond to in Bakersfield. These show the date, time, location, vehicles, and any injuries. California Vehicle Code Section 20012 requires the release of crash reports to drivers, passengers, owners, and insurers. Processing takes about seven to ten days. If the CHP handled the crash, you request from them instead of Bakersfield police.
Body camera footage is mostly exempt from release in Bakersfield. State law keeps body cam video private except for critical incidents. This includes officer-involved shootings and serious use of force. The department must release that footage within 45 days under Government Code Section 7923.625. All other body cam video stays confidential in California, including Bakersfield.
How to Make a Request
To ask for police records in Bakersfield, contact the police department with these details:
- Your name and phone or email
- Date of the event
- Names of people involved
- Location in Bakersfield
- Case number if you know it
- What type of record you want
The California Public Records Act gives the department ten days to respond. This means they tell you if the record exists and if they will release it. It does not mean you get the file in ten days. They may need more time to produce the records. A 14-day extension is allowed if they need to search many files or consult with other offices in Bakersfield.
If your request is denied, the department must cite the law that exempts the record. Common exemptions include ongoing investigations, personnel files, and certain confidential records. You can challenge a denial in court. Many people work with lawyers or advocacy groups on appeals. The California Attorney General has info on your rights at oag.ca.gov for police records in Bakersfield.
Note: Domestic violence victims get free copies of their reports within five days under California Family Code.
California Public Records Laws
The California Public Records Act in Government Code Sections 7920-7931 gives you the right to ask for police records in Bakersfield. Any person can make a request. You do not need to live in California or give a reason. The agency has ten days to respond. They can extend this by 14 days if needed. Some records are exempt from release under state law in Bakersfield.
Penal Code Section 832.7 covers officer personnel records. SB 1421 and SB 16 changed this law to require more disclosure in Bakersfield. Police must now release records of shootings, serious use of force, sexual assault by an officer, and dishonesty. The department has 45 days to provide these files. A delay of up to 180 days is allowed if there is an ongoing criminal investigation in California.
Vehicle Code Section 20012 requires the release of traffic collision reports to involved parties in Bakersfield. This includes drivers, passengers, owners, and insurers. The law sets out who qualifies. Agencies cannot deny these requests if you meet the requirements in California. Most crash reports are ready in seven to ten days from Bakersfield police.
Other Records and Resources
The Bakersfield Police Department only keeps law enforcement records. For other public records in Bakersfield, contact different city or county offices. Vital records like birth and death certificates go through the Kern County Public Health Services. Court records are at the Kern County Superior Court. Property records are kept by the County Assessor in Bakersfield.
If you need legal help related to police records in Bakersfield, several groups offer services. Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance serves people with low income in Kern County. Call (661) 325-5943 for info. The Kern County Bar Association has a lawyer referral service if you need to hire an attorney. You can also contact the California State Bar at 1-800-392-5660 for referrals statewide.
For questions about California police records laws, the Attorney General website at oag.ca.gov has guides and FAQs. The site explains the Public Records Act and how it works. It also has contact info if you need to file a complaint about a denied request. These resources apply to all police agencies in California, including the Bakersfield Police Department.
The California Department of Justice runs the OpenJustice portal at openjustice.doj.ca.gov. This site has crime stats, arrest data, and law enforcement info for the whole state in Bakersfield. You can view data by county, city, or agency. The portal includes maps and charts. This is a useful tool for research on crime trends. It does not have individual case files or personal records. For those, you contact the Bakersfield Police Department.