In August 2021, the Bakersfield Police Department and the California Department of Justice came to an agreement together with ways to help strengthen BPD's relationship with the community. It started in 2016 after an investigation into BPD’s misconduct complaints and use of force found that the department needed to make some changes. And even though BPD does deny the allegations, they are collaborating with the DOJ and working on guidelines put forward as part of the agreement. Along those lines, the Bakersfield Police Department hosted a community workshop to share updates and progress on the process so far.