The 350 members of the Bakersfield Police Officers Association are sworn to serve and protect the people of Bakersfield.  By doing so, we are committed to laying our lives on the line, should such courage be necessary, as we continue to fight the increasing amount of gang activity and violent crimes that has plagued our city.  Sadly, our police officers have also been quietly battling a different sort of fight over the past two years.  A war not for our own personal benefit, but one that will protect the legacy of those Police Officers who will follow in our footsteps for decades to come.

This is a conflict involving City Manager Alan Tandy who is adamant to extend the retirement age for future Bakersfield Police Officers to 55 years-old. 

Because of the inherit risks and dangers associated with being a police officer, it is imperative that our city maintain a police force that is well conditioned.  I am sure Mr. Tandy has plenty of supporters for his plan out on the streets of Bakersfield.  No, not the sworn officers of the Bakersfield Police Department, but the gangs and criminals we work tirelessly to protect the community from.  A 55 year-old faced with a 24 year-old criminal unwilling to surrender in a peaceful manner is a very dangerous situation.

Let me be clear, BPOA is not asking for a new benefit that is going to cost the taxpayers more money.  We simply want to preserve what is already in place for those future Police Officers who will dedicate their careers to public safety and to the citizens of Bakersfield. Ironically, raising the retirement age will have no immediate financial benefit to the city given the current hiring freeze.  So what’s the point?

The men and women of the Police Department are not takers.  Through Mr. Tandy’s selfish and one-sided negotiations we have already had more taken away than we are hoping to preserve: BPOA’s last salary increase was 1% in March 2007; 29 sworn Police Officer positions have been eliminated or frozen; and most recently the City rescinded on a 3 year contract term offer already agreed upon by the BPOA.  

Officer and citizen safety have been jeopardized simply because police department attrition is the easy and thoughtless solution to the City’s immediate problem.  Of all the reductions made to the City’s General Fund, the Police Department alone suffered 35% of the total amount cut. 

It’s time Mr. Tandy is called out for what he truly is.  Time and time again, he has filtered the information that he passes on to the council in a manner that only confuses the issues and benefits his self-interests.  He needs to be reminded he is an employee who works for the council—not the other way around.  It is time our council members and the public are provided with the truth and nothing but the truth when it comes to the way in which Mr. Tandy disrespects the officers of the Bakersfield Police Department.

Brian West