A Fresno police officer joined the Proud Boys. There is no place for him in the PD
News that the Fresno Police Department has launched an investigation into one of its officers as an alleged member of the Proud Boys was startling and disturbing.
But the real question is, if there is one, might there be others?
To that end, and to fully ensure the community’s confidence in the department, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama would be wise to review the social media of each of more than 800 officers to see what affiliations they are claiming in their private lives.
Do officers have the right to join groups of their own choosing in their time off? Of course. But what if that affiliation is to a hate group?
In response to the news about the Fresno officer, Mayor Jerry Dyer on Sunday issued this statement: “As the mayor of this city, I will not tolerate any city of Fresno employee belonging to organizations that promote views of supremacy, racism or criminal conduct. This matter is under investigation and appropriate action will be taken to address any misconduct.”
When it comes to police, one would hope that “appropriate action” means immediate dismissal following the results of a fair investigation. There is no place in the ranks for anyone who belongs to an openly racist group like the Proud Boys.
This should be the position not only of Balderrama, but the Fresno Peace Officers Association as well. The union should be a willing participant in the effort to root out any members who cannot be trusted to “serve and protect” all members of Fresno’s racially diverse community. In a statement, the union said it backed Balderrama’s investigation, but did not go any further.
Proud Boys and racism
The Proud Boys were formed several years ago to promote the white culture in America and the West. One of the group’s particular targets of hate are Muslims and Islamic nations.
Fresno Police Officer Rick Fitzgerald was filmed Sunday off duty at a counter protest in the Tower District. For weeks, Tower neighborhood members have been holding peaceful demonstrations protesting the proposed sale of the Tower Theatre to a local church.
In response, counter protests have sprung up in support of the sale, and have included Proud Boys and other known local far-right people who have expressed white supremacist views online.
Fitzgerald was shown in a video taken by Eddie Block, a Madera man who is a former Proud Boy. Block’s home was raided by the FBI in late January in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by right-wing supporters of then-President Trump.
While Balderrama did not identify Fitzgerald, he was named on Twitter by users after Block posted his video. Twitter users said Fitzgerald was the same man who wore Proud Boys clothing at a demonstration in Sacramento last November held to protest President Biden’s election.
Bee staff writer Brianna Calix broke the story Sunday. She reported that Fitzgerald said he was part of the local Proud Boys group for about a year and reached the third degree and leadership level of membership before he left.
Fresno police said the officer they are investigating has been placed on paid leave, with his officer authority suspended.
Confidence in Fresno police
A report last year by the Brennan Center for Justice, an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization that supports American democracy, said that the FBI has long known of links between active-duty police and white extremist groups. But, the report notes that “Few law enforcement agencies have policies that specifically prohibit affiliating with white supremacist groups. Instead, these officers typically face discipline, if at all, for more generally defined prohibitions against conduct detrimental to the department or for violations of anti-discrimination regulations or social media policies.”
Balderrama has the opportunity to make clear the Fresno Police Department will not tolerate affiliations by officers to extremist groups.
“Most courts have upheld dismissals of police officers who have affiliated with racist or militant groups, following Supreme Court decisions limiting free speech rights for public employees to matters of public concern,” the Brennan Center report says.
The chief should investigate not just Fitzgerald, but the officer ranks overall. If more officers are found to have ties to extremist groups, they should be held to answer, and terminated if need be. Only then can Fresno’s diverse community of residents be confident that an officer who responds to a call for help will truly protect and serve.