Fresno officials expected to name Oklahoma City deputy chief as next police chief
Fresno city officials are poised to announce Paco Balderrama, a deputy chief in Oklahoma City, as the next police chief, multiple sources confirmed to The Bee.
Balderrama, 44, has spent more than 20 years in the Oklahoma City department and was the first Hispanic deputy chief there. Sources said he’s been in Fresno shopping for a home and that the announcement will come Tuesday.
His bio on the Oklahoma City Police Department web page says he earned his master’s degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2017. He’s held multiple roles in the Oklahoma City department including patrol officer, field training officer, public information officer and a member of the tactical team. He also speaks Spanish.
The announcement of the next police chief will fulfill Mayor Lee Brand’s campaign promise that he would search for and hire a new police chief after the retirement of former chief Jerry Dyer, who will become mayor in January. In August 2019, Brand named Andy Hall as police chief, but because of a city retirement program Hall will be forced to retire in the spring of 2021.
Balderrama was born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents. His twin brother, Beto, also works for the Oklahoma City Police Department.
According to The Oklahoman, Balderrama is married and has three young children.
Balderrama has received many awards for his police work in Oklahoma City, including rookie of the year, Outstanding Community Leader by the Chamber of Commerce and one of the 12 most influential Hispanics in the city.
Upon his promotion to deputy chief in Oklahoma City, the police chief there touted Balderrama as someone who “doesn’t accept the status quo and knows community trust is the key to any police department’s success.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 9:12 PM.