During a segment on the Jun 28 episode of “First Look with Scott Cox,” Bakersfield Police Chief Lyle Martin appeared on the show to discuss how the department is combatting drugs, the challenges of working with body cameras and hiring new officers.
During the 10-minute interview, Martin said the department is still down dozens of officers, is making progress in hiring but that attracting and retaining qualified candidates is still a tough process.
“It’s a little bit disheartening when you have 700-800 show up for the original test but by the time you weed it all down, narrow it all down people can’t pass a background (test), can’t pass a drug test I offer 15 jobs and I still have 36 openings,” Martin said.
When it comes to body cameras, Martin said the problem remains how to handle the massive amount of date that video produces, and handling public record requests when it comes to the footage.
“In fact, it’s muddied the water in some of these cases,” Martin said.
