Council makes progress in establishing Police Department

At the regular Wasco City Council meeting on Tuesday, members approved the purchase of weapons and computer-based training software for the start up of the Wasco Police Department.

The purchase will include Glock Gen5 handguns, shotguns, nonlethal shotguns and tactical rifle at a cost of $33,587.54.

The vendor, ProForce Law Enforcement, is a locally based law enforcement weapons dealer that provides weapons equipment to Kern County police agencies.

"The weapons are the first of two acquisitions ...That first acquisition is roughly half of the weapons we will need," Chief Charlie Fivecoat said.

"There will probably be another acquisition in a year or that time frame. It's all part of the start-up equipment."

Lixipol LLC, will provide PoliceOne training software and licensing for the department.

Lexipol is currently used by most law enforcement agencies in California and throughout the United States.

"The training software is critical to make the officers stay current with their training. It's a computer-based system that tracks all the individual's training so we can ensure they comply with post-training requirements," Fivecoat said.

The council also approved a purchase order with FinishLine Signs to design and install the complete graphics for the new police patrol vehicles.

The cost will be $5,726.28 for a total of six vehicles.

The staff has been working on choosing the graphics that will be displayed in the patrol vehicles. The most important requirements were to help identify the vehicles as law enforcement and show other important information, such as 911 and vehicle unit numbers.

Also, at the meeting, the council approved contracting Art Sherwyn as a consultant on the downtown beautification initiative.

In January 2022, the council approved a resolution authorizing use of a $5 million grant to work on the downtown streetscape.

Part of the project includes public art installations in four locations, three pedestrian alleys and the open plaza.

Sherwyn will oversee the theme, selection and creation of the art to meet the grant's intent, fit within the designated spaces and reflect on the community.

"He will assist the city with selecting the art, making sure it's appropriate for the space and the overall design of the designated spaces," Community Development Director Keri Cobb said.

Sherwyn has 37 years of experience as an artist and teacher.

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May is bike month, and Cindy Parra, board secretary for Bike Bakersfield, shared with the council that there will be a bike rodeo and a community walk in Wasco on Tuesday, May 9, at 3 p.m. at the Wasco Branch Library.

It will be an opportunity to learn bike skills and share safety concerns.

There will be free snacks, drinks and giveaways. It is open to kids and adults. Parra invites the community to attend.