BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — After years of struggling with a lack of jail bed space that led to early releases for countless low-level criminals in Bakersfield, the City Council is set to discuss potential policy decisions during its regular Wednesday meeting.<\/p>\n
The City Council is expected to make requests to city staff for future action after discussing the following policy considerations, according to the meeting agenda:<\/p>\n
Liability and risk exposure<\/p>\n
\u00a0Watch ‘After Sunrise’ on KGET+; Click to learn how to get KGET+ on your smart TV devices\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 21 at 1501 Truxtun Ave.<\/p>\n While Bakersfield has seen significant reductions in violent crimes over the past five years, quality-of-life crimes — such as vandalism, theft, littering and more — are still a point of concern, according to city officials.<\/p>\n According to officials, the city makes about 400 arrests per month in relation to such crimes.<\/p>\n However, over 80% of the chronic low-level offenders booked into Kern County jail are released within 12 hours, the agenda said.<\/p>\n “They are not receiving treatment. They are not facing consequences for quality-of-life crimes. This is not an enforcement issue,” officials said in the agenda. “This is an accountability issue in our criminal justice system.”<\/p>\n The lack of jail bed space was identified as the “major gap” in creating accountability in the city’s criminal justice system, according to the report.<\/p>\n After several discussions and a failed effort to reach a solution for more jail bed space with the county, the city created a Jail Bed Task Force<\/a> in September 2025 — spearheaded by Councilman Bob Smith.<\/p>\n The task force held public forums in the following months to identify challenges, past and ongoing efforts for improvement and potential solutions, according to officials.<\/p>\n City staff also researched jailing in other California cities and counties to understand challenges, opportunities and best practices, the agenda read.<\/p>\n