BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Bakersfield Police Department hosted a community meeting Thursday night at the Larry E. Reider Education Center to discuss their revised use of force policy with residents.

Mary Jo Pasek, a Bakersfield resident, was among the community members who attended the meeting to speak directly with police officers about their use of force practices and daily experiences.

"I think they've worked long and hard to put together the kind of use of force policy that we need," Pasek said. "And how hard they're working to make a difference here, and I think we should be very proud of that."

During the meeting, real-life examples of police encounters were shown to participants to demonstrate officers' efforts to de-escalate situations without using deadly force.

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