'Defund police' signs left on Bakersfield City Councilman Parlier's lawn
Jun. 19—Bakersfield City Councilman Chris Parlier woke up Saturday morning to find four signs stuck into his front lawn. The signs called out his career in law enforcement, celebrated Juneteenth and advocated for defunding the police. Written in blood red paint, handprints were also left on the sidewalk.
In a phone interview, Parlier said he discovered the signs after a neighbor texted him, worried for his safety and the safety of his family.
"I was shocked because this is Bakersfield, and we're a good, tightknit community. And I didn't think some of those political distractions that are happening in other areas would come to literally my doorstep," he said. "I've always considered myself a middle of the road councilmember. I only ran for council for one thing. And that's to do the right thing for my city and my community."
Two of the signs proclaim "once a cop, always a cop," referencing Parlier's status as a retired special agent for the California Department of Justice. Another sign read, "Happy Juneteenth. Freedom Day Reparations."
The act follows a vote on Wednesday by the City Council to approve the fiscal year 2021-22 budget, which included a $13.4 million increase to the Bakersfield Police Department. The meeting featured heated public comments from some community members demanding the council defund the police. At one point during the meeting, Mayor Karen Goh ordered the Council Chambers cleared due to the disruptive nature of the comments.
On Saturday, Parlier was careful not to speculate on who might have left the signs in his front yard. He said police had taken a report on the incident and he would leave investigative matters to the authorities.
"I wouldn't say I'm shaken up, but I would say my family and my neighbors are," he said. "I live in a very diverse neighborhood. My neighborhood is basically the United Nations, and we love and care for each other, and look out for each other. And this kind of attack they perceive as an attack on them too."
The local group People's Budget Bakersfield took credit for the action on social media, saying on Instagram, "we fight for abolition and liberation."
Parlier lives in and represents Ward 7, a south Bakersfield region that is bounded by Monitor Street in the east and Stine Road in the west. He said his neighbors have offered support, even volunteering to clean up the paint on the sidewalk.
"I live in a working-class area of Bakersfield that is a mix of all of our community," Parlier added. "We don't look at each other from ethnicity, we look at each other from character and friendship and I look at them as my constituents no matter who they are."
You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.
