In 2022, the city of Bakersfield and the police department launched a gun violence reduction strategy. Since then, city officials say the city is safer now prior to the pandemic.

Bakersfield city officials said Friday gun violence is down across the city and attributed the decline to a partnership between the city and several community groups. City Manager Christian Clegg — joined by several other city officials and nonprofit leaders including Mayor Karen Goh and Councilmen Andrae Gonzales and Larry Koman — said the decline in gun violence was the result of