The Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011 (Assembly Bill (AB) 109 and AB 117) transferred the responsibility for incarcerating adult offenders of non-serious, non-violent or non-sex offenses to County jails instead of State prison. Additionally, AB 109 authorized the early release and probation of certain individuals incarcerated in the State prison system for non-violent offenses.

The Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011 was funded with a dedicated portion of State sales tax revenue and vehicle license fees outlined in trailer bills AB 118 and SB 89. However, this funding only applied to County jails and probation. Recognizing the need for State support for City law enforcement agencies due to the steady erosion of funding for City police agencies over the last several years, State funding has been provided to City police departments, through the Board of State Community Correction (BSCC), to enable front-line intervention services in each County since the 2013 Budget Act.

The Bakersfield Police Department received funding under this State provision from 2011 through 2017. As funds were received, they were placed in a trust account to be appropriated as necessary, under the conditions of which they were distributed. Per statute, local law enforcement agencies may use the funds to supplement, not supplant the following activities: homeless outreach teams, crisis intervention training for officers, gang resistance education and training (GREAT), resources for drug endangered children, outreach to high-risk youth, youth diversion programs and gang and violence prevention programs.

The Bakersfield Police Department requests an appropriation from the BSCC Trust account in the amount of $68,911 to offset unbudgeted qualified expenditures from Fiscal Year 2019-20.   A summary of the expenditures is below.