Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry announced Friday he will retire in April, ending a 28-year local career during which he ramped up hiring of officers, navigated a settlement with the state Department of Justice and responded to Black Lives Matter protests.
Terry, a Louisiana native appointed to the Bakersfield Police Department’s top position in April 2020 three years after being promoted to assistant chief, posted on social media that serving as chief has been “one of the greatest honors of my professional life.”
“I am incredibly proud of the men and women of this department; their dedication, courage and unwavering commitment to serve,” he stated. “I am equally grateful for the tremendous support, partnership and trust we have received from our community.
“Together, we have accomplished so much, and I am confident in the department’s continued success. As we move through this transition, we will stay true to our mission; partnering with our community and serving with compassion, accountability and professionalism.”
Bakersfield City Manager Christian Clegg said in a statement Terry has made a tremendous impact serving the community during his time with BPD and as chief.
“He has served with integrity, fortitude and grace,” Clegg stated. “During his time as chief, we have been able to make strides in improving public safety, including improved response times, citywide reduction in crime and pivotal growth and development of our police department.
“His leadership and presence will be missed in the community and within the department. We wish him the best as he moves onto the next chapter in his life.”
Terry came to Bakersfield in 1990 at the urging of his wife, a native of the city who had been living in the south and wanted to return home. Terry had been working at the Lafayette Police Department, most recently as a detective, in a career he pursued from a young age despite having no family members in law enforcement.
He told The Californian in 2020 that becoming chief had never been a goal of his. But he was thrust into the position in 2017 when his immediate predecessor, former Chief Lyle Martin, left to become an investigator with the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
Among Terry’s first tasks was overseeing the BPD’s expansion using Measure N revenues. But quickly he was faced with the high-profile, pandemic-era challenge of managing the agency’s response to Black Lives Matter protests.
Every night for weeks, protesters gathered in front of the department’s Truxtun Avenue headquarters. The events sometimes culminated in tense confrontations between demonstrators and officers in full riot gear.
Another of Terry’s duties has been leading BPD’s fulfillment of its obligations under a settlement agreement the city reached in August 2021 with the California Department of Justice following a four-year state investigation into alleged civil rights violations at the hands of police. The agency admitted no wrongdoing but was required to enact a long list of reforms intended to restore community trust.
Terry has a master’s degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership and a bachelor’s in criminal justice administration.
Local personal injury investigator Frank Wooldridge commented on Terry’s social media post, saying, “Fantastic Chief!”
“He has served us very well,” he wrote. “The department is blessed to have had his services. Longest running Chief since R.O. Price. Dedication.” Wooldridge was referring to former Chief Robert Price, who retired in 1988 after 32 years with the department, 15 of them as chief.