Former Bakersfield Police Chief, from 2016 through 2019, Lyle Martin spoke at Bakersfield College’s (BC) Panorama campus on Feb. 17 as part of the college’s Black History Month events, focusing on representation in law enforcement and personal experiences within the profession.
Martin began his presentation by citing statewide data on police leadership demographics in California.
“There are over 340, I think 344, police departments in the state of California,” Martin said. “We tend to think that California is so much more progressive. Of those 344, as of 2026, only 18 chiefs are African American.”
He also referenced gender representation. Women remain a minority in sworn law enforcement roles, making up roughly 14% of police officers in the United States in 2023, according to the Statista Research Department, and according to Martin, only 22 women are police chiefs.
“22 of them are female… so 344 chiefs of police in the most progressive state in the country… You’re looking at, I’d say, 6% with just him and I in the room,” Martin added, referring to Tommy Tunson, former police chief of Arvin and the Bakersfield College professor who hosted the class.
Tunson also addressed students, noting his observations about leadership demographics in law enforcement.
“I’ve met three or four sheriffs, and each one of them said the same thing that Chief Martin and I say about how the system is and the further up you go, the fewer there are people of color,” Tunson said.
Toward the end of the discussion, Martin read an excerpt from a piece he wrote in 2020, during the height of the country’s division.
“I’m lying in bed, my daughter climbs in the bed, tears rolling down her face, and says, ‘Daddy, do you hate me? … I’m so sad because you’ve always told us to love everybody. I want to know how you can love all these people who hate me. I think I hate everybody,’” Martin read.
Martin continued to read his excerpt, in which he speaks to his daughter, encouraging her to continue to love and respect individuals from all walks of life, even if they do not extend the same courtesy.
“Do not be dissuaded, my love. We choose to continue to be inspired to listen, work with, and love everybody, even if they do not love us,” he continued.
Martin referenced his upbringing and lessons from his parents, stating that he was taught he needed to work harder than others.
“I may not agree with what you have decided to label me, but my mother raised a man, not a crybaby…My parents always told me that I must work harder than others to reach my goals. As a young man, I was not sure what that meant. I just did it. Work harder, add some minor successes, and many failures,” said Martin