Kern County has earned yet another dubious distinction, placing third in a statewide study for youth homicides.
"I don't want to see anyone else fall victim to this type of situation," said Wesley Davis, whose son was killed in a shooting. "Losing a child, particularly in that fashion, the pain is beyond excruciating."
Davis knows the pain of youth violence all too well. In 2006, his son Wendale was shot and killed. His killer has never been found.
Now, new statistics from the Violence Policy Center paint a grim picture for Kern County.
It ranks third in California for youth violence with 39 homicides in 2009. Sixty four percent of those murders were gang related.
Davis says too many people think it's not their problem
"If we continue to look the other way, it'll be at your door. It really will. Everyone's door. This gang issue is a community problem," Davis said.
The Bakersfield Police Department agrees. Sergeant Joe Aldana says police try to be proactive instead of reactive, but they can't do it alone.
"In a lot of these gang cases we do need help," said Aldana. "We know that gang members try to intimidate certain members of the community and this is one way we can combat that. If we join together, we can just let the gang members know that their behavior will not be tolerated."
Davis is hoping people will speak up, before another innocent life is lost.
"You know it's too late once you get the phone call and someone else's son is lying there dead, shot in the head.
Youth homicides specifically means victims between 10 and 24-years-old. In 2009, 39 people in that age group were killed in Kern County placing it third on the statewide list.
