Bakersfield is experiencing a troubling increase in DUI-related arrests and fatal crashes, prompting local authorities to intensify their efforts to combat the issue.
Sgt. Rex Davenport of the Bakersfield Police Department Traffic Division shared alarming statistics with the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, revealing that DUI arrests have surged nearly 50% compared to last year. In 2023, there were 845 DUI arrests, while 2024 saw 625 arrests. So far this year, 688 arrests have been made.
Deadly DUI-related crashes have also risen, with 12 incidents reported this year, compared to eight last year. Sgt. Davenport, whose brother Russ was killed in a car accident in 1997, emphasized the personal impact of such tragedies.
“I don’t want anybody else to get a phone call at 5 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “Even if it’s not drunk driving. Distracted driving, street racing, it doesn’t matter. Slow down.”
To address the issue, DUI saturation patrols are planned this month, though staffing them can be costly, around $25,000. The department’s $400,000 traffic safety grant is crucial for these efforts.
“Lately it’s been all over town,” Davenport said. “But when it does tend to focus areas, we saturate that area.”
Local attorneys, including Chris Hagan from Chain, Cohn, Clark, argue that California’s current DUI laws are insufficient.
“I’m convinced that the stats are so high because the laws that we have currently in California aren’t strict enough,” Hagan said. “The punishments aren’t severe enough. People are getting a slap on the wrist right now when they are convicted of a DUI.”
In Kern County, there have been 1,853 DUI arrests, 408 DUI-related crashes, and 24 DUI-related deaths this year. Chain, Cohn, Clark, along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, have initiated a petition for stricter sentencing for DUI offenders, gathering over 9,000 signatures.