Alumnus selected as next Bakersfield police chief

MPA graduate Brent Stratton to assume role in May

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 19^th, 2026

A California State University, Bakersfield graduate has been selected to become the next leader of the Bakersfield Police Department.

Brent Stratton has been appointed to serve as chief of police following the retirement of current Chief Greg Terry. Stratton, who has worked in the department for 22 years, will assume his new role on May 1.

Stratton has spent the past six years as an assistant chief, managing the Bakersfield Police Department’s Field Services and Special Operations divisions. He has held a variety of roles within the department since he first joined in 2004, including as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant and lieutenant.

“I’m honored and humbled. It’s an exciting opportunity,” he said. “The gravity of it is settling in, the responsibility. I had underestimated the community impact and sentiment. I’ve already received a lot of interesting feedback. It’s helped me realize how impactful the position is, and I hope I’m able to do a good job for the city.”

Stratton earned his Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from CSUB in 2019. He was named a Business and Public Administration Alumnus of the Year in 2025 and currently serves on the Public Policy and Administration (PPA) Advisory Board.

“We are so excited to see Brent Stratton take the helm as Bakersfield’s next police chief!” said Dr. Jinping Sun, chair of the PPA Department. “A shining example of excellence and dedication to public service, Brent offers strategic advice and provides valuable insights to guide the department in making informed decisions. Congratulations Chief Stratton, and thank you for your continued leadership and service!”

Stratton has three main goals as chief, the first being to increase people’s feeling of safety. While he said the Bakersfield Police Department has made great strides in reducing crime over the years, many people in the community still don’t feel safe.

“I don’t think they recognize that this is actually safe city,” he said. “I want to bring some data to this and help put some of the concerns they have in context.”

The second goal is to strengthen the department’s existing relationships within the community and to build new ones.

“I want people to have confidence in their police department and to know that their voice is heard, that people care about what they’re experiencing, what they’re feeling. I want to be responsive to those things,” he said. “Community-oriented policing is something I really believe in and care about.”

Stratton’s third major goal is to work with community partners to solve problems in the city. Some specific areas that he would like to focus on include gun violence, vehicle collisions and domestic-related homicides. He would also like to improve the retention of officers within the department.

“Some of the problems that we’re facing are very complex and are going to require long-term attention and innovative ideas to bring solutions to them,” Stratton said. “I’m not under any illusions that the police department is able to solve all these problems on its own, but I think with the support of the community, we should be able to help make things better.”

Dr. Deborah Cours, dean of CSUB’s College of Business and Public Administration, said Stratton is a role-model alumnus who is “exemplifying the MPA program’s values of service and care for others. I’ve seen firsthand how he prioritizes employees’ welfare and seeks opportunities for them to achieve their professional and personal goals. I offer my warm congratulations to Brent and his family and look forward to continued partnership.”

'A fantastic degree to pursue'

Stratton’s CSUB journey was a long one that began back in 2012. Before applying to the university, Stratton had tested for a lieutenant position but hadn’t scored high enough to receive a promotion. Unsure about how to move forward, he sought advice from then-Chief Lyle Martin. That conversation would mark a significant turning point in Stratton’s career.

“He highlighted some shortcomings that I needed to strengthen that would make me more well-rounded. My career had been very operations-based at that time,” he said.

Martin told him that if he wanted to take on a leadership role, Stratton needed to understand other sides of the department, such as budgeting, policy and internal affairs. Stratton had initially thought about majoring in criminal justice, but Martin urged him to pursue an MPA degree instead.

“He said ‘this is what you’re going to need to prepare you for all the work that is done at an administrative level within the police department.’ That might be some of the best career advice I’ve ever been given, because it absolutely opened my eyes to things I had never considered and made me prepared for each of the promotions I’ve received,” Stratton said.

It took seven years for Stratton to graduate from CSUB, as he had to fit classes in while managing a busy work schedule and his responsibilities as a husband and father.

“I was a detective when I started and I graduated as a lieutenant,” he said. “There were some semesters where I could go and others when I couldn’t, so it took a long time. The workload was manageable while I was there, but I had to balance it with being a working adult.”

Stratton said he felt a major sense of pride when he was finally able to walk the commencement stage in 2019.

“I don’t know that there’s anything I’ve worked on that took so long to accomplish. It might be the thing I’ve worked the longest on in anything in my entire life,” he said. “I enjoyed that it was tough and that I accomplished something that wasn’t easy for me.”

While Stratton knew going into the MPA program that it would take him longer than other students in his cohort, he said it was all worthwhile.

“It was a fantastic degree to pursue. I feel very well prepared to handle the administrative rigors of my role based on the education I gained at Cal State,” he said. “In this role as assistant chief and now chief, you’re less of a police officer and more of an administrator. You have to worry about budget, policy, discipline, written reports, presentations and being able to provide analysis on complex issues. Those are all skills you gain going through the program.”

Through his involvement on the PPA Advisory Board over the past four years, Stratton has been working to increase awareness of the program and has been encouraging his fellow officers to enroll.

“I’d like to be able to route more police officers to the program at Cal State. I think it would make them better police officers,” he said. “I encourage people to give it a shot. Once you get going, there’s a lot of hard work, but just take one class at a time. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

Stratton said he has enjoyed his experience serving on the board. He not only provides advice based on his own knowledge and experience but has also helped with special projects, accreditation, fundraising and other advocacy efforts.

“I enjoy being able to be a part of it. I enjoy doing things that are of service,” he said. “It’s an honor to try to do something to help further the college and its mission.”

As a Bakersfield native, Stratton has had the opportunity to see CSUB grow over the years and is excited to see how that growth will continue in the future. He believes it is a valuable community resource that everyone should take advantage of, whether it’s for career advancement or just personal enrichment.

“Cal State Bakersfield is one of the most important institutions in our city,” he said. “I would encourage those who live and work in our community to enroll. Challenge your thought process, help yourself grow and take advantage of the opportunity that is here.”