Great post, about a topic that must be vitally important to all Americans. Especially those of us with kids.

"Six of the 13 people killed by law enforcement that year died at the hands of Bakersfield city police officers. "

There's a couple things wrong with this sentence though. BPD isn't run by Sheriff Youngblood, and I reckon the word 'county' probably belongs in it somewhere.

I do appreciate you point out that this is a smear. The fact that his assertion is correct isn't a valid complaint against his office. That the deadly killings seem to bear it out is.

I note that in Oregon, the Sheriff runs the jail deputies too, and that they are separate divisions. I am pretty sure that given the violence and abuses reported, Kern County is unlikely to have a very professional jail staff, more probably have thugs that enjoy being assholes and are inappropriate to have patrolling for various reasons manning the cells. Attempts to reform such entrenched and savage institutions are extraordinarily difficult, and if Youngblood is trying to, that would set them against him quick.

I've seen it happen before, just as I describe it.

Thanks!