Who is Fresno’s first Hispanic police chief? What you need to know about Paco Balderrama
Fresno’s next police chief will be the first to join the city’s police department from the outside in nearly 30 years — making him new to most residents.
Juan “Paco” Balderrama, 44, spent more than 20 years in the Oklahoma City Police Department and was the first Hispanic deputy chief there. He is Fresno’s 22nd chief and the first of Hispanic ethnicity.
“I don’t want to downplay it. It is a big deal,” he said. “It is a great honor. It is a great responsibility. My last name is not my last name. It’s one that I borrowed from my mom. My job is to keep that name untarnished and to give it honor.”
“I compare that to also being Latino. I am who I am, but I also represent, not just my family, I represent the Hispanic community,” he said. “That’s something I take very seriously.”
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley said Balderrama would be missed by his agency.
“I have worked with Deputy Chief Balderrama since the day he joined the police department,” Gourley told KOCO News on Tuesday. “I have enjoyed watching him become an innovative leader and be successful throughout his career.”
Upon his promotion to deputy chief in Oklahoma City, former Chief Bill Citty touted Balderrama as someone who “doesn’t accept the status quo and knows community trust is the key to any police department’s success.”
Roots, background and experience
Balderrama was born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents. His twin brother, Beto, also works for the Oklahoma City Police Department, which polices a city of more than 650,000 people. About 20% of its residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census.
Balderrama moved from El Paso to Oklahoma City with his family before graduating from high school in 1995. The 18-year-old twin brothers joined the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department, where they worked as officers in the jail.
In 1999, the brothers both moved on to become police officers.
Paco Balderrama earned his master’s degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2017, according to his bio on the Oklahoma City Police Department web page.
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 speaks Spanish.
Balderrama’s most recent assignment in Oklahoma City was over the Special Operations Bureau, which includes criminal intelligence, the Violent Crime Apprehension Team, youth services and other assignments.
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 and Outstanding Community Leader by the Chamber of Commerce.
Fresno city officials have also touted his work with youth and efforts to keep children out of gangs.
Balderrama begins in Fresno on Jan. 11. He will make $220,000 annually with the standard benefits.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 4:36 PM.
