Fresno’s mayor has made a decision on the next police chief. Who will it be?
Fresno has made a decision on the next police chief and will make an announcement Friday morning, according to a news release from the mayor’s office.
Mayor Lee Brand and City Manager Wilma Quan will make the announcement at a 10 a.m. news conference at City Hall, the release said. Chief Jerry Dyer has said he’ll retire Oct. 15 after 18 years running the department.
Dyer has declared his campaign to be the next mayor.
The decision comes after a nationwide search and multiple interviews from a panel of citizens and city employees. Members of the panels will be at the news conference, according to the release.
The city held several public meetings to get input from residents.
The search received criticism as it wound down. Advocates said the mayor’s administration did not live up to its duty to bring in enough diverse voices in a city looking for sweeping changes in its police force.
Critics said the city should allow residents to question the finalists in a public forum before the chief is hired. The mayor’s administration said that would raise confidentiality concerns related to personnel and hurt the city’s chance to draw the best candidates.
The city released survey responses and videos of the community meetings on its website, but included no explanation of how the comments would be used to pick a chief.
