THE WATCHTOWER PROJECT · KERN COUNTY ACCOUNTABILITY

$12M on Helicopters.
Zero on Compliance.

KCSO claimed staffing shortages prevented DOJ oversight compliance. During the same period, they spent $12 million on Airbus H125 helicopters. The sheriff admitted on camera he downsized staff to pay for them.

5 of 8 Stipulated Judgment reform areas still deficient — after 5 years

$12M Spent on Airbus H125 helicopters during the non-compliance period

21–37% Deputy vacancy rates while buying aircraft

PRIMARY SOURCE Sheriff Youngblood admits on KGET he downsized the fleet to cover H125 costs — confirming non-compliance was a budget choice, not a resource constraint.

THE RECORD

The evidence doesn't
require interpretation.

Five years of institutional findings. Publicly verifiable. Independently sourced.

$57.8M

Taxpayer-funded settlements

Porterville BearCat killing, use-of-force incidents, wrongful death suits — all paid from public funds during the Stipulated Judgment period.

SOURCE: CA DOJ Settlement Records

+40%

Budget growth, zero compliance improvement

KCSO budget grew from $245M to $343M — a 40% increase — during the SJ period. Reform areas remained deficient throughout.

SOURCE: Kern County Budget Reports

118,773

Altitude violations logged

Shell company aircraft tied to KCSO operations logged 118,773 altitude violations. Publicly verifiable via ADS-B Exchange flight data.

SOURCE: ADS-B Exchange (publicly verifiable)

Redacted sections in aviation manual

KCSO's aviation operations manual contains 10 redacted sections. Zero surveillance oversight policies exist in the public record.

SOURCE: CPRA Records Request

62%

Community says KCSO needs improvement

Community survey data: 62% of respondents say KCSO needs improvement. Among Black respondents, 53% report experiencing unfair treatment by the department.

SOURCE: KCSO Community Survey Data

ACT NOW

Four ways to apply pressure.

The Stipulated Judgment expires in 2028. The sheriff's race is the same year. That convergence is a window — use it.

<\!-- 1: Legislative -->

Legislative

Two bills matter right now. SB 1319 (Private Equity Sunshine Act) targets the opacity behind KCSO's aviation contracts. AB 481 requires public transparency on military-grade equipment purchases like the BearCat.

Find your CA legislator → AB 481 — Military Equipment Transparency →

<\!-- 2: Records -->

Public Records

CPRA requests are your right. File them. The most important targets: body cam footage from BearCat incidents, aviation contract details, AEI surveillance contracts, and the unredacted aviation manual.

KCSO Records Request Portal → MuckRock — free CPRA templates →

REQUEST TARGETS

Body cam footage from BearCat incidents
All H125 helicopter procurement contracts
Unredacted KCSO aviation operations manual
AEI / surveillance vendor contracts

<\!-- 3: Electoral -->

Electoral

2028 is the convergence year: the Stipulated Judgment expires and Sheriff Youngblood faces re-election. That overlap is not a coincidence to wait for — it's a deadline to prepare for.

2026 SJ compliance review — monitor report due

2028 SJ expires + Sheriff election convergence

Kern County voter registration → California voter registration →

<\!-- 4: Community -->

Community Oversight

Show up where decisions get made. The Board of Supervisors controls the KCSO budget. KCERA quarterly meetings set the financial agenda. The Civilian Accountability Commission exists to receive complaints.

Kern County Board of Supervisors → KCERA quarterly meetings → Civilian Accountability Commission →

$12M on Helicopters.Zero on Compliance.