Bakersfield City Manager names Brent Stratton as next police chief

Christian Clegg, City Manager, announced in a city video that he has selected Brent Stratton to serve as the next Chief of Police for the Bakersfield Police Department.

Clegg praised outgoing Chief Greg Terry, saying Terry "has led this department with integrity, strength and grace over the past six years" and that "Chief Terry, you will be missed." He described Terry as "a consummate public safety professional" and "a remarkably principled person."

Clegg outlined the chief selection process, saying it included two rounds of interviews, multiple panels and community representatives who met with candidates. He also said he held listening sessions asking residents about the values and skills they wanted in a chief. Summarizing themes that emerged, Clegg said the community sought "a chief who had integrity and accountability," accessible community-focused leadership, "experienced executive leadership capable of managing the size, complexity and operational demands" of Bakersfield's police force, modern training and policy aligned with national best practices, strong support for officers, and dedication to local engagement.

Clegg said the process produced two strong internal finalists, Jeremy Blakemore and Brent Stratton, both described as "highly skilled and deeply principled." "This was a hard decision," he said, and thanked both candidates for their service through the process.

"At this time, I'm pleased to announce that I have selected Brent Stratton to serve as the next Chief of Police for the Bakersfield Police Department," Clegg said. He added that "Brent will begin this role as of May 1st," urged the community to support him and congratulated Chief Stratton.

No formal vote or council action was described in the announcement. The video served as the City Manager's public communication to residents; Clegg framed the decision as his appointment following the described selection process.