Fresno police chief doubles down in fight against gang-related killings and violent crimes
Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama wants gang-related killings and violent crime in the city to stop.
Balderrama’s is adding more resources to the Multi-Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) in response to the 22 homicides — 14 of which were gang related — and 152 shootings in 2021.
“The last couple weeks have been very violent in the city of Fresno,” Balderrama told The Bee on Tuesday. “We’ve been trying different things such as gang operations, which started January 15th. That has been very productive. Over 340 felony arrests, 803 misdemeanor arrests, almost 250 firearms ... that is significant.
“That is going to continue on, but basically our MAGEC team is kind of the tip of the spear when it comes to dealing with gang violence. I believe it makes sense to add more resources to that team in particular so that we can rest some of our patrol officers and some of our other resources that have been used on this gang operation.”
The recent shooting death of street vendor Lorenzo Perez was one of the catalyst behind Balderrama doubling up on the gang crackdown.
Perez, 45, was gunned down execution-style March 21 in southeast Fresno, with witnesses saying it appeared his assailant was waiting for the vendor to come by. The gunman called Perez over and shot him in the head, police have said.
Balderrama last week when announcing the arrest of 18-year-old Demarcus Jaime Vega in the case, said detectives could not determine if Vega was a gang member. But on Tuesday, Balderrama confirmed that Vega is in a gang.
“That is impactful because that affected a hard-working father who was trying to make a living,” Balderrama said.
“We have to keep a constant pressure on that type of criminal element in order to make a positive impact,” he added.
Balderrama said the department will double its MAGEC Tac Team, which focuses on illegal gang activity, and the team will operate seven days a week in support of the patrol division.
Fresno police on Jan. 15 started a gang crackdown during Balderrama’s first week as chief. Since the operation, 259 guns have been seized mostly from gangs. More than 340 felony arrests and 803 misdemeanor arrests have been made.
Balderrama said it is “frustrating” when he wakes up in the morning to see someone had been shot or killed overnight.
“One of my jobs and my top goals is to make the city safer for every citizen that lives here,” he said. “The only way we’re going to do that is by focusing on violent gangs who are committing most of these crimes.”
