Fresno’s police chief: From celebrated hire to resignation over affair in 3-plus years

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Fresno Police Chief Juan F. “Paco” Balderrama’s resignation Tuesday following an investigation into “an inappropriate relationship” marked the end of a tenure that saw marked reductions in violent crime, a record number of new officers and, perhaps most notable, nearly unanimous praise from elected officials.

Balderrama, 47, spent more than 20 years with the Oklahoma City Police Department, rising to deputy chief before he was hired away in January 2021 to be Fresno’s 23rd chief – and the first of Hispanic ancestry.

He was also the first chief to be hired from outside the department in almost 30 years.

Before Balderrama’s resignation Tuesday, effective July 25, his tenure featured a number of key moments:

December 2020: Balderrama was named police chief by then-Mayor Lee Brand at an announcement joined by former Police Chief Jerry Dyer. Balderrama was sworn in and officially began in the new role in January 2021.

February 2021: Within weeks of his arrival, Balderrama was presiding over the early stages of a crackdown on gang violence that he said was responsible for 71% of the 74 homicides in Fresno in 2020. “One of my jobs and my top goals is to make the city safer for every citizen that lives here,” he said in March 2021. “The only way we’re going to do that is by focusing on violent gangs who are committing most of these crimes.”

February 2021: The police department also initiated operations to curb illegal street racing, including a weekend crackdown in February 2021 in which 189 citations were issued, 44 cars were towed, 10 people were arrested and two illegal “ghost” guns were seized.

June 2021: Balderrama announced that he was also tackling another issue facing the police department — long-term absences by dozens of officers, putting a strain on those remaining on duty. He launched a unit inside the department to investigate workers compensation claims to verify whether the extended absences were medically warranted.

Fall 2021: Throughout the summer and fall of 2021, Balderrama began implementing some — but not all — of the recommendations made by the city’s Commission on Police Reform. Those adopted included changes to the department’s policy manual on officers’ use of force; accelerating internal investigations into allegations against police officers; making it easier for residents to report complaints about officers; recruiting more women to the force; and disbanding task units including a FAX transit bus unit; a homeless task force and a recycling task force. The homeless task force officers transitioned to a Homeless Assistance Response Team that now operates under the mayor’s office.

January 2022: Fresno reported that, like 2020, there were 74 homicides in 2021.

March 2022: Balderrama pledged to increase the number of women in the department’s ranks to 30% by 2030. At that time, only about 12% of the sworn officers in the department were women.

September 2022: In an acknowledged misstep, Balderrama said the department mishandled the investigation of a former Fresno Unified school principal accused in June 2022 of striking a special-needs student in an incident that was captured on video. The case came to light in September 2022 after The Bee raised questions.

December 2022: Gun violence was down in 2022 compared to 2020 and 2021, with 59 homicides over the course of the year.

Mid-2023: When the Fresno City Council adopted its budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, it included funding to increase the number of police officers to its highest level, nearly 900 officers. When Balderrama was hired at the beginning of 2021, the department was dealing with some of the lowest staffing levels in 10 years and faced recruitment challenges.

January 2024: Violent crime continued to decline in Fresno, with 35 homicides in 2023.

February 2024: Balderrama notified Dyer that he had been involved in “an inappropriate off-duty relationship” with a woman who was not a city employee. Dyer and City Manager Georgeanne White launched an internal personnel investigation at that time, but the investigation did not come to light until months later.

June 6, 2024: Dyer and White acknowledged that Balderrama was under investigation to determine whether he violated department policies by engaging in the alleged affair. At that time, they said Balderrama would remain on duty as chief pending the outcome of the probe.

June 12, 2024: Balderrama is placed on paid administrative leave by White, citing the intensity of media scrutiny of the chief’s behavior. Sources reveal that Balderrama allegedly had been engaged in an affair with the wife of one of his subordinate officers. Deputy Chief Mindy Casto is placed in operational control of the department.

June 18, 2024: Published reports in Austin, Texas, reveal that Balderrama was among more than 30 candidates who submitted applications to become chief of police in that city.

June 25, 2024: Dyer and White announce that Balderrama submitted his resignation as police chief, effective July 25. Casto is named interim chief to serve while a nationwide search is conducted over the next four to five months to find Balderrama’s replacement.