Tulare police chief appears to be in trouble again

Tulare Police chief Jerry Breckinridge is not at work and appears to be at risk of losing his job, but the reasons remain shrouded in mystery.

In an email to city staff Tuesday, City Manager Don Dorman said Breckinridge “is unavailable to conduct city business until further notice from me.”

Capt. Wes Hensley was named acting chief of police, and city staff members were directed to deal with Hensley on city business and not contact Breckinridge.

The staff was also told not to speculate among themselves “regarding these circumstances.”

Dorman said Friday he could not discuss the reasons behind the absence and would not state if Breckinridge has been placed on administrative leave.

The city is following standard procedures in the matter, he said.

“I don’t have all the facts,” he said. Generally speaking, it takes a few weeks to assemble information, he said.

The police department had no comment, Sgt. Andy Garcia said. “This is a personnel issue,” he said.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said no criminal case against Breckinridge has been submitted.

Breckinridge, 48, has been in trouble once before.

Last year, he was arrested after authorities received a complaint of domestic violence, but no charges were filed. In that instance, he was not placed on administrative leave.

This story was originally published May 29, 2015 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Tulare police chief appears to be in trouble again."